2 lesbian women in love, involved in the world of crime and on the run in the desert to save their lives. There hasn’t been a movie with that kind of premise in quite a while but in 2024, we have had 2 of them back to back with Drive Away Dolls and now Love Lies Bleeding. The former had a lighter tone but the latter is dark, gory and frankly unhinged. This is Rose Glass’ sophomore outing as a director and after gaining plaudits for Saint Maud (her first feature) and now Love Lies Bleeding, she looks like a rising star.
The movie is backed by A24 and stars Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Dave Franco, Jena Malone and Ed Harris. It was written by Glass and Weronika Tofilska. The synopsis says, “A reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.”
Despite having a seemingly straightforward plot, this movie is hard to describe and it is anything but straightforward. It is lined with twisted elements in every aspect of it. The narrative starts like a grounded, self-contained love story between our two leads and takes its time to marinate in the first act. The second act starts with a bang and directly takes it levels above the first act. The third act then gives us a “mighty” finale that feels poetic in a lot of ways.
Every act of this movie feels like a different movie because of its drastically different tones. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact. one of its major strengths lies in how well Glass handles so many different genres at once while maintaining cohesion. Her direction is top notch and she gives us some stellar shots which are highly metaphorical in nature. Her color grading also was a symbol of what kind of zone the movie was in. The evolution of the lighting and detail of the visuals is praiseworthy.
Another thing that really impresses and satisfies me as a viewer is that Glass does not hold back on anything and doesn’t shy away from capturing what is necessary. In particular, the sex scenes are shot extremely well in a way that capitalizes on the sizzling chemistry between the two leads, and the movie is also surprisingly very very gore-heavy. One sequence in particular will leave your jaw on the floor for sure, because of how uncomfortable and wild it is. But the gross and shocking elements is what lift the narrative and get you more invested in Glass’ world.
Katy O’Brian is excellent as Jackie, an unhinged bisexual with temper issues, who is obsessed with bodybuilding. She has the bulkier role and her journey as an irascible and arguably unstable woman is captivating. This is a true breakout role for her and will get her the spotlight. Stewart also delivers one of her career-best performances here as Lou. Glass effortlessly uncovers the layers of desperacy and rebelliousness of these two characters and both Stewart and O’Brian flourish under her vision. Ed Harris is also charming as always as our main villain.
Love Lies Bleeding is a bold, bloody and beaming story about two desperate women in love. It is an audacious story that has valiant editing, rich cinematography and loads of sex appeal. Stewart and O’Brian deliver powerful performances and fully commit to their characters. This intense ride gets your blood pumping, but under all the rebellious and raging energy, It is a love story at its core.
Love Lies Bleeding premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will release in cinemas on March 8.
