"We Need to Talk About Kevin," the Cannes competition title directed by Lynne Ramsay and featuring a widely-acclaimed performance by Tilda Swinton, has been picked up for North American distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories.

The company plans to release the film late in the year, and to launch an awards campaign for the film, in which Swinton plays the mother of a son who commits a horrific act at his school.

"We are honored to be working with Lynne, Tilda, John, and Ezra to release this masterpiece – the most intense thriller I've seen since Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby,'" said Oscilloscope head Adam Yauch in a press release announcing the acquisition.

The film was acquired from Independent Film Company, whose Luc Roeg said Oscilloscope "fought off strong and impressive competition" for the film.

In TheWrap, Sasha Stone called the film unsettling and unforgettable [5] and said the lead role is "played with hollowed-out magnificence by Tilda Swinton."

Swinton was considered a strong competitor for Cannes' Best Actress award, which went to Kirsten Dunst in "Melancholia."