Movie Review: My Love Will Make You Disappear

My Love Will Make You Disappear, directed by Sara Lio, is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of grief, love, and the supernatural. The film masterfully weaves together the emotional complexities of mourning with elements of the paranormal, creating a narrative that is as eerie as it is poignant. This genre-blending film stands out for its unique approach to dealing with loss and the lengths people are willing to go to hold onto those they love.

Plot Summary

My Love Will Make You Disappear follows Lena (played by Tessa Thompson), a grieving woman who loses her partner, Marco (John David Washington), in a tragic accident. Devastated by the loss, Lena becomes obsessed with the idea that Marco’s presence still lingers in her life. After a series of strange occurrences in her home—whispers in the night, objects moving, and fleeting glimpses of Marco—Lena begins to believe that her love for Marco might be strong enough to pull him back from the other side.

Lena’s search for answers leads her into a world of mysticism and the occult, as she attempts to communicate with Marco’s spirit. Her obsession deepens, and soon she is willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back, even if it means facing terrifying, otherworldly forces. The film follows Lena’s journey as she navigates the blurred line between love and obsession, questioning what it truly means to let go and whether love is powerful enough to conquer death.

Tessa Thompson’s Powerful Performance

Tessa Thompson brings an incredible depth and emotional vulnerability to her role as Lena. The film hinges on Lena’s emotional journey, and Thompson anchors it with a performance that is raw, nuanced, and deeply affecting. Her portrayal of grief is unflinching—viewers will feel the weight of her heartbreak as she clings to the memory of Marco, unable to let go despite the toll it takes on her mental and emotional state.

As Lena spirals deeper into her obsession, Thompson perfectly captures the descent into madness, the desperation to cling to a love that cannot be, and the emotional conflict of loving someone who is no longer there. Her chemistry with John David Washington, even in the limited, ghostly appearances of Marco, is palpable, making Lena’s journey all the more poignant.

Thompson's ability to seamlessly transition between moments of quiet sorrow and intense emotional outbursts gives the character a rich, multi-layered quality that makes her relatable and sympathetic despite the increasingly questionable decisions she makes. Her portrayal of a woman torn between holding on and letting go is one of the standout elements of the film.

A Supernatural Tale Grounded in Real Emotion

My Love Will Make You Disappear uses its supernatural elements to explore deeply human themes. The presence of Marco’s ghost is not just a plot device for thrills or scares; it becomes a metaphor for Lena’s inability to move on and the psychological hold that grief has over her. The haunting, while unsettling, is ultimately a representation of her emotional state, where the boundaries between love, loss, and obsession blur.

The film doesn’t shy away from showing how these supernatural experiences impact Lena’s mental health. There is a constant tension between Lena’s desire to bring Marco back and the awareness that this may not be possible or even healthy. The supernatural becomes a way for her to avoid facing the painful truth of death and the need to let go.

While the film leans into its eerie atmosphere with moments of suspense and tension, it never loses sight of its central emotional narrative. The haunting is more than just a scary element; it’s a reflection of the emotional conflict Lena faces, and the film wisely keeps the focus on her internal struggle rather than relying on cheap scares or jump moments.

Visuals and Cinematography: A Dreamlike, Unsettling Atmosphere

Visually, My Love Will Make You Disappear has a dreamlike, almost ethereal quality, which is perfect for the eerie, supernatural tone of the film. Cinematographer Elena Carter uses light and shadow to create an atmosphere that is both beautiful and unsettling. The film often features haunting, soft lighting that makes the everyday feel strange, as if the world Lena inhabits is slipping in and out of focus.

The use of space and color is deliberate, with dark tones and muted palettes punctuated by sudden flashes of color when the supernatural elements surface. These visual choices emphasize the tension between Lena’s real world and the world she wants to create with Marco. The camera work is intimate, often focusing on Lena’s face to highlight the subtle shifts in her emotional state, whether it’s fear, hope, or resignation.

There are moments when the film employs surrealist imagery, blurring the lines between reality and Lena’s delusions, and these sequences are both haunting and mesmerizing. The supernatural elements are subtle but effective, and the visual language of the film reinforces its themes of love and loss without being overly theatrical.

Themes of Love, Obsession, and Letting Go

At its core, My Love Will Make You Disappear is about the intense human desire to hold on to love, even when it’s no longer physically possible. The film examines how love can sometimes turn into an unhealthy obsession, and how, in the face of overwhelming grief, people may attempt to defy natural laws to avoid facing the pain of loss.

Lena’s struggle to let go of Marco reflects a broader, universal theme—the difficulty of accepting death and moving forward. The film never offers easy answers about what it means to grieve, nor does it suggest that the process of moving on is straightforward. Instead, My Love Will Make You Disappear depicts grief as something deeply personal and nonlinear, where the desire to connect with lost loved ones can feel so powerful that it may blur the lines between love and madness.

Ultimately, the film’s supernatural elements highlight the broader theme of impermanence. No matter how deeply we love someone, death is inevitable, and the film suggests that the process of letting go and accepting loss is just as important as love itself.

Final Thoughts

My Love Will Make You Disappear is a beautifully haunting film that blends supernatural horror with a deeply emotional exploration of grief and love. With an outstanding performance from Tessa Thompson and a subtle, atmospheric approach to the supernatural, it’s a film that resonates long after it’s over. It’s a meditation on the lengths we will go to hold on to those we’ve lost, and the painful, necessary process of learning to let go.

For those who appreciate films that blend the emotional with the eerie, My Love Will Make You Disappear is a must-see. It’s a cinematic experience that doesn’t just linger with you because of its thrills, but because of its heartbreaking, relatable portrayal of the human condition.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

My Love Will Make You Disappear is a beautifully crafted, emotionally charged film that will leave you thinking about love, loss, and what it truly means to move on. A must-watch for fans of emotionally-driven supernatural tales.