Studio: Mubi
Release Date: 4/21/2026
Rating: R
Film Grade: C
The Story: Grace and Jackson are starting a new chapter in their lives. A child is on the way and they’re moving into the house that had belonged to Jackson’s recently deceased uncle. Instead of being a happy time, the stress eats away at both of them, and things quickly spiral out of control.
My Take: Billed as a psychological thriller, there’s almost nothing in the line of thriller elements, with the film leaning heavily on the effects of mental illness. Told in a style that intermixes past and present, we get glimpses of the couple in the happiest and unhappiest of times. The story is centered around Grace and how she changes after the birth of the baby. Dissatisfaction is the overlying feel of the movie, represented in almost every character, scene after scene.
Performances are all solid, as one would expect with a cast of this talent. Jennifer Lawrence (who was pregnant during filming) stars as Grace, portraying her as fully three dimensional, but also unknowable. We see her show tons of affection toward the baby, while also offering cutting barbs to everyone else. We know she’s a writer, but it’s never defined as to what she writes. Opinion pieces, short stories, essays, romance novels? A minor detail, but one that could have added more interest to the character.
Robert Pattinson’s Jackson is less developed, coming off as a befuddled husband and father who’s reached a point of not knowing what to do or capable of doing it. He arrives at home with a surprise present that does nothing to bring calm to the family. Sissy Spacek plays Jackson’s mother, who has issues of her own dealing with a recent death. And there’s a minor role for Nick Nolte who gives one of the most touching and affecting performances to be found.
The movie is based on an Argentinian novel, the screenplay was worked on by Alice Birch (Lady MacBeth), Enda Walsh (Hunger), and director Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here, We Need to Talk About Kevin), which may be part of the reason that it feels so aimless and disjointed. Themes are introduced, like postpartum depression, writer’s block, relationships changing over time, and the shallow nature of society, but none are examined in depth. One of the biggest disappointments is how the film treats and the underlying issue of mental illness and the ultimate resolution. It comes across as a movie that wants to say something important and profound about big issues but never succeeds in doing so. Instead, we’re left with an unrelenting feeling of gloom from the misery that the characters go through. On that singular level, the movie is a success, but void of any actual revelation, catharsis, or satisfaction, with a resolution that betrays its own ambition.
Visuals: Shot on 35mm film with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, this is an intentionally rough looking film. There’s lots of grain, and the picture has an overall dull and desaturated look to it. There are some scenes that pop with color, such as some shots of the sky, and sunlight-bathed scenes show some blown highlights, but much of the movie takes place in dim lighting. Comparing the Blu-ray to the 4K disc, differences were minimal with the 4K occasionally showing more subtlety to colors, but they were hard to spot.
This isn’t a movie that is dependent on dazzling photography, but there are a few moments that stand out. One is a dissolve between an ink splattered sheet of paper and a nighttime sky, the other involving the water and crowd on a beach scene.
Audio: Both the Blu-ray and 4K discs come with a 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix. The movie starts out with an expansive sound of the Montana countryside, with dialog tracking around the perimeter of the house. There’s an effective use of the surrounds for one scene that has flies buzzing about the room that’s so effective you may be tempted to grab a swatter. The movie is dependent on dialog which is clearly presented.
There’s a minimal musical score, with the film opting to use a wide variety of songs instead. They include Elvis Presley, Raffi, Cream, Toni Basil, and John Prine; the last of which is featured twice. They’re used effectively for both mood and setting.
Special Features: None.
Final Verdict: The trailer gives a strong impression that this will be a standard domestic thriller, but it’s not that at all. Filled with flawed characters at pivotal points in their lives, it offers a dismal view of their future. Performances are strong and often bold but hampered by a script that saddles them with unlikeable roles in uncomfortable situations. Twists range from surprising to telegraphed. There are some sharp and pointed lines of dialog that add a tinge of dark humor, but it isn’t consistent throughout the movie. The unfortunate result is that they come off feeling unnecessarily flippant.
Fans of Lawrence will want to watch it, as she is featured front and center throughout. It’s also a worthy view for those that enjoy character studies, although these are bathed in overwhelming dissatisfaction and misery. For the average viewer, this may be a tough watch, depending on expectations.
Telling Quote: “I’m stuck between wanting to do something and not wanting to do. . . anything at all.”
This review was written by a human without the use of AI.My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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