As of this month, the highly anticipated new release from A24 known as Love Lies Bleeding has been unleashed. Marking the second feature film from writer / director Rose Glass, the film has been garnering widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences going as far back as its Sundance premiere. In addition to starring the likes of Kristen Stewart, Jena Malone, Dave Franco and Ed Harris, this film is said to be somewhat of a breakout role for actor / martial artist Katy O'Brian as the co-lead. So has this film lived up to its hype or is there not much to it beyond all the pulpy glamour?
Set in 1989, the film follows a reclusive gym manager named Lou who falls for an ambitious bodybuilder named Jackie who is headed for Las Vegas, only for their love to inflict drama-filled violence within Lou's criminal family. What seemingly starts out as a saucy thriller laced with lesbian romance and dangerous criminal intake becomes far more intense and gratuitous than one might ever expect upon first viewing. As much as the film emphasizes love woven into a crime-like narrative, Lou and Jackie are far more complicated and messed up than their physical attributes say otherwise. On top of strong chemistry shared by Stewart and O'Brian, the dynamic passion between the cynical isolated woman and the unstable rising bodybuilder is partially what drives them into corruption in both their general lives and the ties between Lou's own family. There is rarely a dull moment to be found as the two go through their troubled environments through adoration and anger through gory violence and steaming drug addled bonding, and that's just part of the fun of the feature.
And then there is the small yet intimidating supporting cast, all of which make or break Lou and Jackie depending on what pleases them. Of course Ed Harris makes for a scarily intimidating presence as Lou's crime boss father who can make the act of asking a simple question send shivers down one's spine. That being said, in addition to Lou's scummy brother in law J. J. practically being the reason Jackie knows about Lou's family in the first place, his abusive actions are most reflected from his wife Beth, the brainwashed sister of Lou who can't see past her husband's worst moments. The cast pull off these characters well enough that the few scenes they're in make them feel far more interesting than how the script portrayed them, and they bring so much disturbing authenticity to their general mannerisms that even a seemingly insignificant admirer of Lou named Daisy could leave one watching with goosebumps. At the end of the day, a crime family can only be as ruthless as how a cast portrays them to be, and this film is a prime example of the filmmakers giving their all with them.
Now as this film has been compared to the likes of works by James M. Cain, Jim Thompson, David Lynch, and the Coen Brothers, those possible influences feel represented through the actual filmmaking itself. While mostly taking place in New Mexico, the feature makes the most out of its desolate settings with colorfully bleak cinematography, trippy visual sequences, muscle bound editing and an intense soundtrack. The emotional core of both the romantic and pulpy crime scenes are elevated by intense color palettes and powerfully lustful transitions, almost as if the film itself is part concise narrative, part intense trip. Although Las Vegas is not as important in the film as one might assume, it is still presented as the appropriate contrast between the boring mundaneness of Lou's hometown to the point of almost being the achilles heel for Jackie once things spiral out of control. No matter how intense this film can get in its tone and content, the accompanying filmmaking elements add the necessary flavor to make it eye opening from start to finish.
If there is any new release to see immediately during women's history month, Love Lies Bleeding is a must see for anyone into crime thrillers laced with steamy romance and gory violence. At a time when lesbian themed crime films are slowly getting a comeback in mainstream and arthouse cinemas, this movie is bound to get a cult following beyond its earned appraisal across the world. 2024 still feels fresh with the types of widespread indie films getting the right amount of attention, so here's hoping that this is just one of the many more critical and commercial darlings yet to come this year.
Set in 1989, the film follows a reclusive gym manager named Lou who falls for an ambitious bodybuilder named Jackie who is headed for Las Vegas, only for their love to inflict drama-filled violence within Lou's criminal family. What seemingly starts out as a saucy thriller laced with lesbian romance and dangerous criminal intake becomes far more intense and gratuitous than one might ever expect upon first viewing. As much as the film emphasizes love woven into a crime-like narrative, Lou and Jackie are far more complicated and messed up than their physical attributes say otherwise. On top of strong chemistry shared by Stewart and O'Brian, the dynamic passion between the cynical isolated woman and the unstable rising bodybuilder is partially what drives them into corruption in both their general lives and the ties between Lou's own family. There is rarely a dull moment to be found as the two go through their troubled environments through adoration and anger through gory violence and steaming drug addled bonding, and that's just part of the fun of the feature.
And then there is the small yet intimidating supporting cast, all of which make or break Lou and Jackie depending on what pleases them. Of course Ed Harris makes for a scarily intimidating presence as Lou's crime boss father who can make the act of asking a simple question send shivers down one's spine. That being said, in addition to Lou's scummy brother in law J. J. practically being the reason Jackie knows about Lou's family in the first place, his abusive actions are most reflected from his wife Beth, the brainwashed sister of Lou who can't see past her husband's worst moments. The cast pull off these characters well enough that the few scenes they're in make them feel far more interesting than how the script portrayed them, and they bring so much disturbing authenticity to their general mannerisms that even a seemingly insignificant admirer of Lou named Daisy could leave one watching with goosebumps. At the end of the day, a crime family can only be as ruthless as how a cast portrays them to be, and this film is a prime example of the filmmakers giving their all with them.
Now as this film has been compared to the likes of works by James M. Cain, Jim Thompson, David Lynch, and the Coen Brothers, those possible influences feel represented through the actual filmmaking itself. While mostly taking place in New Mexico, the feature makes the most out of its desolate settings with colorfully bleak cinematography, trippy visual sequences, muscle bound editing and an intense soundtrack. The emotional core of both the romantic and pulpy crime scenes are elevated by intense color palettes and powerfully lustful transitions, almost as if the film itself is part concise narrative, part intense trip. Although Las Vegas is not as important in the film as one might assume, it is still presented as the appropriate contrast between the boring mundaneness of Lou's hometown to the point of almost being the achilles heel for Jackie once things spiral out of control. No matter how intense this film can get in its tone and content, the accompanying filmmaking elements add the necessary flavor to make it eye opening from start to finish.
If there is any new release to see immediately during women's history month, Love Lies Bleeding is a must see for anyone into crime thrillers laced with steamy romance and gory violence. At a time when lesbian themed crime films are slowly getting a comeback in mainstream and arthouse cinemas, this movie is bound to get a cult following beyond its earned appraisal across the world. 2024 still feels fresh with the types of widespread indie films getting the right amount of attention, so here's hoping that this is just one of the many more critical and commercial darlings yet to come this year.