November 13, 2025 – I went to see this arty movie mainly because Jennifer Lawrence (of “Silver Linings Playbook”) is in it, and because the reviews were good. It turns out that Lawrence does indeed give a great performance, but the story makes no sense. This movie reminds me of another similar fantastical movie that Lawrence starred in, “Mother!” (2017) but this one isn't nearly as good as that one was.

Lawrence is a great actress and this role is a meaty one, the kind that generates awards. The problem is the story is interrupted with so many flashbacks, dream sequences and other hallucinatory scenes that it is hard to tell what is really going on, except for the fact that the main character, Grace (played by Lawrence) is going crazy, and that she loves her child unconditionally.

The craziness is apparently due to Postpartum psychosis, which many of her friends seem to think is Postpartum depression, which is significantly different. Postpartum psychosis is considered a medical emergency, requiring intervention to stop a patient from harming herself or her child.

After Grace gives birth to her son, she begins to exhibit troubling behavior and mood swings. Her husband, Jackson (Robert Pattinson of “Mickey 17”) is unable to deal with Grace's increasingly erratic behavior. Jackson's mother, Pam (Sissy Spacek of “In the Bedroom”) tries to help Grace, but can't seem to get through to her.

Grace is institutionalized for a time, and seems to get better with counseling, but later relapses again. She walks around with a big knife in her hand (sometimes, she's naked) and it begins to look like something awful is going to happen. Jackson brings home a dog, which drives Grace crazy with its incessant barking. She has a cure for that. The couple also seems to have a habit of playing music really loud.

Grace also doesn't like the fact that the couple is living in a house where one of Jackson's relatives killed himself, one of many obvious instances of foreshadowing. All that loud music and that constantly barking dog would drive me crazy too, so I had some sympathy for Grace. Jackson, on the other hand, seems kind of clueless. Another old time actor in the movie is Nick Nolte (“Angel Has Fallen”), who plays Jackson's father, Harry.

The very setting of the movie often seems unreal. In some scenes, the house that Grace and Jackson are living in seems quite remote. In other scenes, it appears to be just a short walk to a small town, or to Pam's house. In some scenes, the house appears to be located in a vast, grassy plain, while in others, it is close to a forest. At times, Jackson doesn't seem to have a job. At other times, he seems to be on the road all the time, working, while Grace is at home by herself with the kid. These days, that is an unaffordable lifestyle.

There is no sense of place. The movie seemed to be unstuck in time, too, as well as being unstuck in space. For instance, there was a bizarre scene that takes place on Grace and Jackson's wedding night. It was so weird that I thought it must be one of Grace's hallucinations, but I guess it was supposed to be real, or at least as real as anything else in this movie.

I just could not make much sense of this movie since it does not seem to be anchored to any kind of reality. Maybe if the story had been chronological it would have made more sense. Like much of the rest of the story, Jackson's father is unstuck in time and space. He is alive in some scenes, dead in others, crazy in others, and is kind of a ghost in at least one scene. This story is like a nightmare, or a tale told by a madman. Maybe that's the point.

I have seen this movie described as a dark comedy, but it is not really funny. There is a sense of dread hanging over many scenes, as if everyone is helplessly marching towards a terrible, inexorable, destiny. I prefer to think of the story as one that need not be taken seriously. Maybe everything works out in the end. That's just as plausible an explanation as any other in a movie where literally nothing is real. This movie rates a C.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2025 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at