Since Die My Love releases this week, I’m doing a mini Lynne Ramsay marathon starting off with her spectacular debut film!! This gives me MAJOR Tarkovsky vibes and I think that’s one of the reasons why I love it so much. It’s a poetic film full of wondrous visuals, incredible acting that feels raw and natural, music that is so integral to the movie yet not overwhelming, the same goes for Ramsay’s tackling of social issues which ranges from poverty to labor strikes, and of course the painful moment that occurs near the beginning of the film looms around James for the remainder of the runtime and emphasizes the turbulent nature of dreary environments through guilt, death, pollution, etc. and how they shape individuals. Glasgow is a dark and gloomy place and it’s not a great atmosphere for James to grow up in. There’s a news report that chronicles the pollution/spread of disease in the city, James’ father smokes and drinks which influences him to do the same, James is also surrounded by other kids who are subjected to much of the same conditions as he is so he is able to bond with them, but there are also other kids who use their less than satisfactory upbringing/environment as a tool to hurt others such as James and his friends. Society serves such an important role in how we as people grow, who we create bonds with, and where we end up in life. There are countless people who aren’t able to make it out of places like Glasgow, people who are destined to live a life of misery. However, James was lucky enough to escape. Seeing him run through that golden field was heartwarming to say the least and gave me hope for his future, it’s by far my favorite moment in the film and it’s definitely the most beautiful. What I find most impressive about this is how Ramsay is able to make the ugliness of Glasgow undeniably breathtaking. There are so many amazing shots in this, so many moments that are etched in my mind because they are oh so gorgeous. It speaks volumes about her capabilities as a filmmaker. From the very first scene of James spinning around in a curtain to the shot of James and Ryan down by the shore moments before disaster that is set up to look as if somebody is watching from James’ apartment, the visual poetry does its job extraordinarily well and is able to emphasize the obvious hideousness of the city while simultaneously using it in order to tell a beautifully heartbreaking tale. Also, this includes some of the best child acting I’ve ever seen, it’s so nuanced yet feels real. Overall, what a ravishing movie that truly reminds me of Tarkovsky. I’ve always loved Ramsay’s work, but this definitely takes the cake as her best feature in my opinion.

Since Die My Love releases this week, I’m doing a mini Lynne Ramsay marathon starting off with her spectacular debut film!! This gives me MAJOR Tarkovsky vibes and I think that’s one of the reasons why I love it so much. It’s a poetic film full of wondrous visuals, incredible acting that feels raw and natural, music that is so integral to the movie yet not overwhelming, the same goes for Ramsay’s tackling of social issues which ranges from poverty to labor strikes, and of course the painful moment that occurs near the beginning of the film looms around James for the remainder of the runtime and emphasizes the turbulent nature of dreary environments through guilt, death, pollution, etc. and how they shape individuals. Glasgow is a dark and gloomy place and it’s not a great atmosphere for James to grow up in. There’s a news report that chronicles the pollution/spread of disease in the city, James’ father smokes and drinks which influences him to do the same, James is also surrounded by other kids who are subjected to much of the same conditions as he is so he is able to bond with them, but there are also other kids who use their less than satisfactory upbringing/environment as a tool to hurt others such as James and his friends. Society serves such an important role in how we as people grow, who we create bonds with, and where we end up in life. There are countless people who aren’t able to make it out of places like Glasgow, people who are destined to live a life of misery. However, James was lucky enough to escape. Seeing him run through that golden field was heartwarming to say the least and gave me hope for his future, it’s by far my favorite moment in the film and it’s definitely the most beautiful. What I find most impressive about this is how Ramsay is able to make the ugliness of Glasgow undeniably breathtaking. There are so many amazing shots in this, so many moments that are etched in my mind because they are oh so gorgeous. It speaks volumes about her capabilities as a filmmaker. From the very first scene of James spinning around in a curtain to the shot of James and Ryan down by the shore moments before disaster that is set up to look as if somebody is watching from James’ apartment, the visual poetry does its job extraordinarily well and is able to emphasize the obvious hideousness of the city while simultaneously using it in order to tell a beautifully heartbreaking tale. Also, this includes some of the best child acting I’ve ever seen, it’s so nuanced yet feels real. Overall, what a ravishing movie that truly reminds me of Tarkovsky. I’ve always loved Ramsay’s work, but this definitely takes the cake as her best feature in my opinion.

this movie isn’t about trash piling up or rats or broken houses. it’s about what it’s like to be a child surrounded by adult problems. carrying sadness too heavy for your age and not knowing where to put it. it’s lyrical and raw in how it shows family, childhood, and what poverty leaves behind. every frame feels carefully held like slow, soft, and full of meaning. it’s literally both like a dream for it's cinematography and a quiet scream for it's content.

i love how this film uses symbolism that speaks so much about poor youth. the glasgow setting is run-down, dirty, full of garbage it shows how kids grow up in places where their needs, feelings, and safety are ignored. the housing crisis and the lack of care aren’t just in the background, they are the background. it’s hard growing up in a world that’s already falling apart. there’s no comfort, no guide. just a quiet ache. the film shows what it’s like to face death, poverty, and abandonment before you even know what to do with those things.

his dream of the new housing estate is everything. it’s what every kids wish life could be: clean, safe, peaceful. whether he ever reaches it or not doesn’t matter. it’s the way he escapes. when things get too heavy, he lean into silence or imagination. and that’s what survival can look like.

every kid deserves to feel safe. to play. to dream. to make mistakes without it being the end of the world. but you see how that’s taken away. it really shows how some kids are forced to grow up too fast, carry things too heavy, and live in a world that doesn't protect them. it’s unfair. childhood should be soft, not something you have to survive ;<

rated 5 stars. probably one of my favorite coming-of-age films. it’s personal to me as someone who grew up in a poor family. someone who’s always wanted change and still trying to find peace.

#52: a criterion film from your watchlist | my criterion challenge 2025

this movie isn’t about trash piling up or rats or broken houses. it’s about what it’s like to be a child surrounded by adult problems. carrying sadness too heavy for your age and not knowing where to put it. it’s lyrical and raw in how it shows family, childhood, and what poverty leaves behind. every frame feels carefully held like slow, soft, and full of meaning. it’s literally both like a dream for it's cinematography and a quiet scream for it's content.

i love how this film uses symbolism that speaks so much about poor youth. the glasgow setting is run-down, dirty, full of garbage it shows how kids grow up in places where their needs, feelings, and safety are ignored. the housing crisis and the lack of care aren’t just in the background, they are the background. it’s hard growing up in a world that’s already falling apart. there’s no comfort, no guide. just a quiet ache. the film shows what it’s like to face death, poverty, and abandonment before you even know what to do with those things.

his dream of the new housing estate is everything. it’s what every kids wish life could be: clean, safe, peaceful. whether he ever reaches it or not doesn’t matter. it’s the way he escapes. when things get too heavy, he lean into silence or imagination. and that’s what survival can look like.

every kid deserves to feel safe. to play. to dream. to make mistakes without it being the end of the world. but you see how that’s taken away. it really shows how some kids are forced to grow up too fast, carry things too heavy, and live in a world that doesn't protect them. it’s unfair. childhood should be soft, not something you have to survive ;<

rated 5 stars. probably one of my favorite coming-of-age films. it’s personal to me as someone who grew up in a poor family. someone who’s always wanted change and still trying to find peace.

#52: a criterion film from your watchlist | my criterion challenge 2025

What Lynne Ramsey accomplished using the idea of social decay through both a garbage strike and a boy guilty of what he has done is a strong, poignant, and quietly turbulent film that is hard not to love on a deeper sociological level, especially for the development of a young living in this condition. He manages the find escapism through beauty, but it doesn't do much for the ways that other people act around him. The writing of all of the characters is wonderfila and the acting from every actor is great. I'm guilty of being harsh on child actors but all of them, especially William Eadie as James, a character whose paralyzed mind is so wonderfully explored that it makes the ending hit so much harder as you know the place he'd rather be, a beautiful meadow in the sun, and when that turns into rain, it becomes a harsh reminder of the realities others face. It could be the responsibility of workers going on strike or their families, but it's always persistent.

What Lynne Ramsey accomplished using the idea of social decay through both a garbage strike and a boy guilty of what he has done is a strong, poignant, and quietly turbulent film that is hard not to love on a deeper sociological level, especially for the development of a young living in this condition. He manages the find escapism through beauty, but it doesn't do much for the ways that other people act around him. The writing of all of the characters is wonderfila and the acting from every actor is great. I'm guilty of being harsh on child actors but all of them, especially William Eadie as James, a character whose paralyzed mind is so wonderfully explored that it makes the ending hit so much harder as you know the place he'd rather be, a beautiful meadow in the sun, and when that turns into rain, it becomes a harsh reminder of the realities others face. It could be the responsibility of workers going on strike or their families, but it's always persistent.

Don’t know what to say really. Such a bleak portrait of the glow in childhood being evaporated by circumstance. Lynne Ramsay’s subtle direction paired with a brilliant child performance perfectly guides you through it all and keeps treading down that path of depression. Out of confusion and only naivety to cling onto, a child sits there with lost eyes and a sad face, not knowing where to place nor voice his emotions. Usually a child can look at the world through a lens of whimsy and shine, but this is no home for a child to have, surrounded by carelessness and constant murk.

Don’t know what to say really. Such a bleak portrait of the glow in childhood being evaporated by circumstance. Lynne Ramsay’s subtle direction paired with a brilliant child performance perfectly guides you through it all and keeps treading down that path of depression. Out of confusion and only naivety to cling onto, a child sits there with lost eyes and a sad face, not knowing where to place nor voice his emotions. Usually a child can look at the world through a lens of whimsy and shine, but this is no home for a child to have, surrounded by carelessness and constant murk.

thought this would be a horror movie, but it’s really about the quiet kind of dread you can’t outrun

thought this would be a horror movie, but it’s really about the quiet kind of dread you can’t outrun