by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
Five years ago Rose Glass gave us her feature length directorial debut in Saint Maud, a twisted horror mystery that many enjoyed, but which was swallowed up when it was heading into a wide release by a little thing known as the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Glass has her first real shot at delivering a film to the big screen that audiences can actually see, with Love Lies Bleeding, and it’s a damn good shot. While the movie might go off the rails in the finale for some, it’s a solid romantic crime thriller that many will enjoy.
Love Lies Bleeding takes place in 1989 and follows Lou (Kristen Stewart), a small-town, lonely gym manager with a hidden and dark past. She falls for one of her gym patrons, Jackie (Katy O’Brian), who has aspirations of traveling to Las Vegas and becoming a professional bodybuilder. Though their passionate and lustful encounters are interesting on their own merit, things turn sour real fast when Lou’s sister, Beth (Jena Malone), is showing signs of being physically abused by her husband, JJ (Dave Franco). This is made all the more complicated by Lou’s father (Ed Harris), who operates as a crime kingpin in their city.
The narrative increasingly cuts back and forth, like a sidewinding road climbing a mountainside, ascending to a crescendo that few will be able to anticipate. This is because the movie starts as grounded, but slowly transforms into a hyper-realistic mutant, both in narrative and in characterization. This will likely be the biggest sticking point for some, and is worth talking about upfront, especially seeing as the movie doesn’t even stick to its own rules. Is it really happening, or is it all just a metaphor? The movie isn’t sure. This could take you aback and leave you a little frustrated, or you might be able to give yourself to the experience and not care remotely about the inconsistencies. But the inconsistencies exist whether they bother you or not.
It’s those vibes, that overarching feeling you get while watching this movie, that will pull many audiences through. The intensity of the visuals, the sexiness of the lustful encounters, the visceral nature of the criminal brutality — all of this congeals into a riveting experience. Even if things often get unpleasant, as horrifying acts occur all around us, the criminal aspects turns this story, and its characters, into the accident on the side of the highway that you can’t turn from. We rubberneck and stare because the sights are so surreal that we cannot look away. It helps that our two lead characters in Lou and Jackie are so relatable. We can all relate to loneliness and isolation, and a desire to feel accepted for you you are, to join a community, and to feel some sense of connection. The film helps us imprint our own experiences onto these characters and pull ourselves into the narrative, having us ask ourselves what we would do in this awful scenario.
The relationship at the heart of this film is also incredibly compelling. Most of us have thrown caution to the wind and made horrible decisions in the name of lust. Sex is one of the most powerful human motivators, and Glass explores the full range of that dynamic here, while delivering some really steamy material. Having an LGBTQ+ relationship at the core of this film, particularly one set in the late ‘80s, is a bold statement. A conscious choice made to illustrate the unfair challenges in life, and the film is better for it.
Beyond the surface level exploration of crime, fun characters, and great queer representation, this flick has a lot to explore when it comes to the different types of poisons we have in our lives. From more traditional vices like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, to more non-traditional ones such as toxic relationships, family dynamics, or the company and secrets we keep, Love Lies Bleeding is all about dissecting these elements. It sees evil everywhere, and shows how we willingly accept, if not outright inject, them into our lives and/or bodies. What’s even more interesting is how these poisons can often set up a chain reaction, one bad mistake leading to another. But what’s genuinely fascinating is that, seemingly, the film’s point is simultaneously that you cannot escape on your own, and that escape is not possible. That these toxic aspects of our lives become so burdensome that you need the help, friendship, and love of others to help you find the light, while also saying that if you don’t surround yourself with the right people then you’ll only sink further into the bog. Trapped under the muck for all eternity. It’s harrowing yet prophetic.
Props to Glass for putting all of this together. For having this unique vision and being able to translate it to the screen, even if the ending gets a little bumpy on the road. Additionally, hats off to Stewart and O’Brian for owning these central performances. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is doing a great job here. There was even a surprisingly great turn from Anna Baryshnikov in a small supporting role. But it’s Stewart and O’Brian who truly sing. They both portray outwardly confident individuals who are genuinely scared and vulnerable internally. Seeing them clash over their different vices, and how both compliment one another while also enabling each other’s bad behavior, is gripping. I felt their passion, their lust, regret, pride, fear, and more. This trio of ladies, in Glass, Stewart, and O’Brian, deserve all the credit in the world for the success of this picture.
This twisted thriller is morbidly captivating. It’s a demented spin on other films like Bound, Lost Highway, and (surprisingly) Gulliver’s Travels, amongst others, that will hold your attention.
Rating: Liked It
Love Lies Bleeding is currently playing in theaters
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