There’s something unflinching in the air these days when it comes to movies about mothers. If you found If I Had Legs I’d Kick You a rough ride, you’d better buckle up for Die My Love. Lynne Ramsay’s latest is an absolutely brutal exploration of what happens when motherhood and domesticity feel like things happening to you, rather than decisions you make for yourself.

Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) have left New York for Montana and a home left to Jackson by his deceased uncle. “It’s not New York, but it’s ours,” Jackson says of the crumbling bungalow. He talks of making a home studio to record a new album and an office where Grace can write the next great American novel. But in just a few minutes of screentime, Grace is pregnant. Then the baby is here and six months old, putting all of their creative plans on hold.

What’s interesting, though, is that Grace doesn’t seem to have much interest in those creative pursuits in the first place. The writing isn’t a side of her we see. She doesn’t mourn it. It gives the impression that neither “mother” nor “writer” is a title she ever really wanted to claim. Instead, the movie follows her adjustment (or lack thereof) to this new life and all the ways she violently rebels against it.

This is truly the beginning of a new era for Lawrence, after ingénue days plagued by roles clearly meant for much older women. I’m thinking specifically of Joy, but even American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook never quite fit either. Here, not only does she seem meant for the role, but also much freer and more comfortable as a performer. Her physicality as Grace is utterly captivating, whether tearing at the walls of her home until her fingers bleed or crawling through the grass like an animal. Even her faces of mock frustration go big, pulling out expressions you didn’t know she had. It’s no understatement to say this is one of (if not the) finest performances of her career.

Lawrence’s turn is so powerful that it is as if the actor alone understands Grace even as she is a mystery to the audience and maybe even herself. Pattinson is a reliable delight, but we’ve seen him in this sort of role before, adding another broad and distinctly odd character to his repertoire. He makes him a great support for Lawrence, and this is 100% her film.

As much of a joy as it is to see Lawrence perform, that doesn’t necessarily make Die My Love an easy watch. Grace is very, very much not okay. She makes decisions that are hard to watch and hard not to judge. It keeps the audience at a distance from what Grace wants, as it feels clear she doesn’t quite know either. She’s also grappling much more explicitly with a mental break caused by her conflicting roles and desires.

Ramsay’s bit of magic here is finding a way to bring us close enough to the character to make us desperate to see where she ultimately ends up. See yourself in her or not, support her or not, the film compels you to stick with her until the bitter end.

Die My Love is a violent, brutal, and meandering search for self. It’s on the last count where the movie may falter a bit. It’s a story about someone trying to find their way after being dropped in the middle of someone else’s journey. That makes some of the pacing feel chaotic. While it’s certainly thematically in line with the film, that doesn’t make it the easiest to digest, occasionally to its own detriment.

That said, it’s easy to forgive the film’s messiness thanks to the power of its performances and imagery. Hollow homes, raging fires, and stark silhouettes of women make for an unsettling tableau. They’re haunting, making it clear that the world is big, giving Grace so many ways to get lost. When she sees Jackson stargazing one night, she yawns it off. “Am I boring you?” he asks. “Not you,” she replies, “the universe. Who gives a shit?” 

Ramsay and Lawrence have created an unforgettable depiction of a woman scrambling for some sense of self and freedom. Neither cares very much if you like her or not. All they really want is to bring you on the ride. It’s the kind of trip you’re grateful to be forced to go on.

Die My Love settles in theatres on November 7.

Die My Love Trailer: