Jennifer Lawrence's "Die My Love" Opens to a Rare D- CinemaScore - While Critics Applaud
You know that weird silence in a theater lobby after a polarizing movie? Half the crowd buzzing. The other half just… shrugging. That's the vibe around Jennifer Lawrence (movies and tv series)'s new psychological thriller, "Die My Love."
On paper, this thing has pedigree. It premiered in competition at Cannes. It stars Lawrence and Robert Pattinson (movies and tv series), is directed by Lynne Ramsay (movies and tv series), and has Martin Scorsese (movies and tv series) on board as a producer. Mubi reportedly paid around $24 million for distribution and sent the stars on a heavy press run.
And yet opening-night audiences gave it a D- CinemaScore - one of those grades you almost never see. For Lawrence, it's her harshest audience response since 2017, when "mother!" infamously pulled an F. Meanwhile, critics have it Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Two rooms watching the same film, feeling very different things.
So what's going on?
Here's the honest read: this is a darkly comic psychological film that lives in discomfort. Ramsay leans into mood, silence, and unease. That plays beautifully at festivals - where viewers expect risk - but can hit a Friday-night crowd like a cold splash of water. Expectations matter.
Marketing matters, too. If you sell something like a mainstream thriller and audiences get an art-house pressure cooker, they're going to grade the experience, not the craftsmanship. We've seen this before. "mother!" got punished for the mismatch. This feels like a softer version of that story.
Also worth remembering: CinemaScore captures opening-night reactions, which skew toward anticipation and word-of-mouth from trailers. Critics, by contrast, are rating the film's choices - not whether those choices made for a fun night out. Different barometers. Different answers. More on how CinemaScore works here: CinemaScore.
What this means for Mubi, theaters, and the awards conversation
Mubi has options. Lean into the film's identity instead of softening it. Platform the release, build around Q&As with Ramsay and the cast, and aim squarely at art-house audiences who champion this kind of filmmaking. That crowd can carry a movie like this for weeks, not just opening weekend.
Theaters may see front-loaded interest taper, then stabilize in specialty houses. If critics keep waving the flag, you could see pockets of strong holds in cities where Ramsay's work has a following. And if the conversation shifts from "was it fun?" to "what is it doing?" the movie could grow a spine.
For awards? A D- doesn't help, but it doesn't end the conversation either. If Lawrence or Pattinson land standout notices, or if Ramsay's direction becomes a talking point, the film can hang around the season. That said, some voters will see the grade and flinch.
- The film: "Die My Love," a darkly comic psychological thriller
- The team: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, director Lynne Ramsay, producer Martin Scorsese
- The debut: In competition at Cannes; acquired by Mubi for a reported ~$24M
- The split: Certified Fresh with critics, D- CinemaScore from opening-night audiences
Look, movies like this aren't built to please everyone. They're built to stick with you - sometimes uncomfortably. Maybe that's the whole point. If you want a deeper breakdown of the rollout and the early scores, the full report is here: Collider.
Here's what this could mean: expect a bumpy first frame, a reframed pitch, and a second wind in the places that embrace risk. And if the lobby chatter turns curious instead of cold, this story could change fast.
