Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

Dir: Rose Glass

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, Ed Harris

English filmmaker Rose Glass has now established herself as a daring visual storyteller with this pulpy and frenetic sophomore feature

Four years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the world as me know it came to a stand till for almost two years. Not many industries suffered more than the entertainment industry, in particular Hollywood and movies in general. Along with the financial implications, one of the major consequences of cinemas closing their doors for the majority of 2020, was the the impact it had on movie production on the whole. The year will go down as one of the most forgettable in terms of theatrical output, resulting in an understandably substandard back catalogue of feature films.

Amongst the darkness however, there were a couple of bright young talents emerging in the industry, one being a then 30-year-old Rose Glass. The London-born filmmaker exploded onto the scene at the backend of 2020 with her debut feature, the unsettling psychological horror “Saint Maud“. Glass had previously premiered the film at TIFF the year before, but had to wait a whole year until she would get a theatrical release in her native UK, followed with an even later release in the US in 2021. Due to the pandemic, arduous marketing and sporadic release dates, the film was a box office failure despite its very modest budget, but did go on to receive widespread critical acclaim from critics and audiences. Nominated for 2 BAFTA’s and 17 BIFA’s, “Saint Maud” is regarded a modern masterpiece of the horror genre and announced Glass as one of the most exciting young prospects working in the industry.

Impressively, Glass has managed to build on her success with her second feature film “Love Lies Bleeding“. The romantic-thriller was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, and having caught a screening of it at the Manchester Film Festival in March, I am relieved to report that it did not disappoint. Set during the late 80s, the film follows downtrodden gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart), as she meanders through her depressingly isolated life in a far removed New Mexico town. Lou spends her days unclogging gym toilets, avoiding her crime lord father Lou Sr. (Ed Harris) and protecting her sister Beth (Jena Malone), who struggles under the pain of domestic abuse at the hands of her awful husband JJ (Dave Franco).

Lou gets a new lease of life however, when aspiring bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian) arrives in town, re-igniting a dying flame within her. With nowhere to stay before heading to a contest in Las Vegas, Jackie crashes with Lou and the two form an amorous relationship, partaking in steroid abuse and discussing their dreams of escaping from the desolate landscape of forgotten America. Ultimately, like with any noir thriller, some fatal decisions are made, leaving our lovers in hot water with law enforcement and the increasingly unhinged Lou Sr.

What was already apparent from her debut feature, Glass is a filmmaker prepared to take risks and she continues to do so here. At first glance “Love Lies Bleeding” appears to be your straightforward noir crime thriller. With its femme fatale leads, sudden bursts of explicit violence, exotic tone and punchy dialogue, it is understandable why it has been compared to the likes of “Thelma & Louise”, “Drive” and “Faster ,Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”. There are clear homages to the arthouse exploitation movies that have come before it but Glass cleverly avoids leaning too heavily into genre tropes, giving the film its own unique style, as an original frenetic and pulpy thriller, unlike anything I have seen before.

Considering the contrasting genres, there is actually a surprising amount that bleeds over from “Saint Maud” here. At their core, both films are about obsession, and how violence and tragedy may be the only way that our protagonists can get what they desire. In “Saint Maud”, Morfydd Clark‘s titular character is obsessed with her faith and religion, to the point of her own mental destruction. Similarly in “Love Lies Bleeding”, Jackie begins a mental downfall of her own as a result of her steroid addiction. Like one of the many steroid trips Jackie experiences throughout, “Love Lies Bleeding” becomes more and more surreal and unpredictable as it moves from scene to scene at a frantic pace. Some of the bolder creative choices from Glass will undoubtedly leave audiences divided, particularly during the final act, but given the context surrounding our muscular heroine’s volatile psyche, I find these wild swings more than justified.

For all of the adventurous storytelling, the central narrative is heavily reliant on the performances of its two female leads, who had the physical and emotional task of bringing Glass’ vision to life, and Stewart and O’Brian did not let her down. There is genuine chemistry between the two, not only in convincingly conveying their characters’ passion for one another but also raising suspicion of potential ulterior motives. Kristen Stewart is consistently proving to be one of the most fascinating talents working in Hollywood today. The 33-year-old has long since moved on from her universally derided role as Bella in the “Twilight” series, as she continues to choose and excel in increasingly ambitious and daring projects. She has previously given career defining work in “Personal Shopper” and “Spencer”, the latter of which earning her an Academy Award nomination for her haunting performance as Princess Diana in 2022. Stewart is backed up by an excellent supporting cast, including the scene-stealing Anna Baryshnikov, as Lou’s needy ex-girlfriend Daisy, who provides the tonally bleak picture with much needed moments of levity. The real breakout star though is the insanely ripped O’Brian, whose physical strength and emotional weakness is crucial to the film’s success. O’Brian went through a lengthy auditioning process and a vigorous training regime for the role, and having been on the fringes of TV and Film for a number of years “Love Lies Bleeding” may be the launch pad she has been waiting for.

Perfectly encapsulating the the bodybuilding obsessed era of the late 80s, “Love Lies Bleeding” is a powerful and brutal neo noir from exciting English filmmaker Rose Glass. Full of sex, drugs and violence it has all the makings of a classic exploitation movie but is elevated thanks to gripping dialogue, fantastic performances and breath-taking visual storytelling.