Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson’s ‘Die My Love’ stuns Cannes with a 9-minute ovation. Mubi secures rights in a bold acquisition.
At the Cannes Film Festival, where the world’s cinematic elite gather to celebrate and scrutinize, a new drama has emerged as a potential game-changer. Die My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, has not only captivated audiences but also sparked a bidding war that underscores its Oscar-worthy potential.
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the Scottish auteur whose unflinching lens gave us You Were Never Really Here, this film is a brutal yet beautiful descent into a woman’s unraveling psyche, set against the desolate sprawl of rural America. Its premiere on the Croisette earned a nine-minute standing ovation—a thunderous endorsement of its emotional heft and the searing performances at its heart.
Now, in a deal that reverberates with both artistic ambition and commercial swagger, Mubi has snagged the rights to Die My Love for the U.S. and multiple international markets, marking the first major sale of this year’s festival.
Adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel, Die My Love follows a married woman (Lawrence) whose postpartum depression metastasizes into a full-blown mental collapse. Pattinson plays her husband, a figure caught in the crosshairs of her disintegration, while LaKeith Stanfield steps in as her lover, adding another layer to this jagged emotional triangle.
Ramsay’s direction is characteristically relentless, peeling back the layers of psychological torment with a precision that’s as mesmerizing as it is merciless. Lawrence, already a Cannes darling with four Oscar nominations and a win for Silver Linings Playbook, delivers what early viewers are calling a career-defining performance.
Her portrayal is a tightrope walk of raw vulnerability and feral intensity—equal parts heartbreaking and terrifying. Critics have been effusive: “America knows very well how good Jennifer Lawrence can be,” one wrote, “and this could well mean a fifth Oscar nomination if it lands in savvy hands.”
The film itself has divided opinion—some hail its daring, others recoil at its unrelenting bleakness—but no one disputes the sheer wattage of Lawrence’s screen presence.
The deal with Mubi, pegged at a hefty $23 million, isn’t just a number; it’s a seismic statement. In a landscape where Apple and Netflix often scoop up prestige titles like rare truffles, Mubi’s triumph in this “fevered” multi-distributor showdown is a coup for the arthouse upstart.
The agreement locks in a robust theatrical rollout—1,500 screens for 45 days—a rarity in an industry still wrestling with post-pandemic theatergoing trends. This isn’t a token gesture; it’s a calculated flex, signaling Mubi’s conviction that Die My Love can lure audiences out of their living rooms and into the dark.
“The theatrical plan and Mubi’s creative alignment on the film and how to release it won the day,” an insider revealed, pointing to the synergy between Ramsay’s vision and Mubi’s curatorial ethos.
This acquisition builds on Mubi’s recent momentum. Fresh off an Oscar campaign for The Substance, the company is flexing its muscles as a serious contender in the prestige film game. With four titles in competition at Cannes this year, including Die My Love, Mubi isn’t just playing the field—it’s rewriting the playbook.
Chief Jason Ropell has steered the company into a new echelon, and this deal is a neon sign of their intent: to marry arthouse credibility with mainstream reach. Beating out titans like Apple and Netflix in the bidding war only sweetens the narrative. It’s not just about money; it’s about belief in the film’s power to connect.
The cast alone is a marquee event. Lawrence, making her first competition splash at Cannes, brings a personal resonance to the role. At the film’s press conference, she spoke candidly about her own postpartum experience: “I had just had my firstborn, and there’s not really anything like postpartum. It’s extremely isolating… You feel like an alien.”
That authenticity bleeds into her performance, grounding the character’s chaos in something painfully real. Pattinson, a Cannes veteran with credits like Good Time and The Lighthouse, complements her with a brooding intensity that’s become his signature.
Their chemistry—crackling and combustible—is already a talking point. Add Stanfield’s enigmatic presence and Ramsay’s stark, poetic direction, and you’ve got a film that’s as much a visceral experience as it is a story.
As Die My Love gears up to hit theaters, the buzz is unmistakable. This isn’t just another festival darling; it’s a film with the potential to leave a crater—artistically and commercially.
Mubi’s theatrical gambit ensures it won’t be buried in the streaming shuffle, giving Lawrence’s tour de force the spotlight it deserves. The Oscars loom large on the horizon, and while the road is long, the early signs are promising. Ramsay’s track record, paired with the star power and critical heat, positions Die My Love as a contender to watch.
For now, the spotlight remains on Cannes, where the film has already carved out a legacy. Amid the glitz and the Palme d’Or speculation, Die My Love stands as a testament to the potency of performance and the pull of a story told without compromise.
As it prepares to make its mark on the cinematic landscape, it’s clear this is more than just a film—it’s a statement about what movies can still be: bold, broken, and unforgettably alive.
Source Deadline
