The Wasteland Reviewer

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) Written Review

What did filmmaker Rose Glass have up her sleeve after her religious horror film Saint Maud? The film dropped during the Pandemic on streaming and delivered a haunting and provocative experience you would come to expect from the A24 umbrella. Saint Maud showed that Glass has a unique cinematic voice built for making memorable and challenging explorations of taboo topics. Leaving the world of religious-based horror behind, Glass makes the bold leap into a genre-bending flick that is certainly going to start up some conversations. 

What makes Glass’ latest, Love Lies Bleeding, such a unique and strange experience? First and foremost, this is a film about love. Love comes in many forms in real life as well as Glass’ film. There is the central love affair between the chain-smoking and mysterious Lou (Kristen Stewart) and the steroid-addicted young bodybuilder Jack (Katy O’Brian). Their love feels so exciting as Lou is stuck in her small town “prison” stuck with the same people her whole life and Jack is running away from home as she does not fit into her family’s perspective on “normal”. They are two lost souls with heavy familial trauma (of varying degrees and forms) that find each other. Their connection is alluring, passionate, and staunchly physical. Glass is not afraid to explore their physical chemistry and lust on screen (delivering some impactful erotic thrills to this genre-bending thriller). 

But it isn’t just about love between two imperfect women in the lust of love, is it? Lou and Jack’s relationship is problematic in its own ways as they both have experienced plenty of trauma, they need to process themselves. But there are other unfortunate expressions of love in the film that are even more complicated. Lou’s sister Beth (Jena Malone) is in a deeply abusive relationship with her husband JJ (Dave Franco). The film captures beaten-woman syndrome in such an uncomfortable and real way. The most toxic love in the film is the perverse love that Lou’s father (Ed Harris) has for his daughter. Harris portrays a dangerous, violent, and uncaring man who finds himself in his daughter and loves her only as an extension of himself. Glass is not afraid to look deep into the darkness of love…which makes sense in the context of the film’s title. There is one other thread involving a desperate junkie named Daisy who has a complex relationship with Lou, but this storyline feels like one of the weaker elements of the film (even though it fits thematically with its twisted transactional dynamic). 

What else does Glass explore with this crazed fever dream of a thriller? Addiction. So many characters that fill out the film are addicted to something. Lou is attempting to give up her tobacco smoking throughout the film and that thirst appears at her most uncomfortable times. The addiction Jack develops with steroids is probably the most tragic as we see her going from a beautiful and smiling young woman with big dreams to a ferocious anger-driven monster that comes crashing down into a broken and shattered state. 

Love Lies Bleeding is quite a thematically dense experience but how does Glass leverage genre to create a truly engrossing experience? Romance was touched upon at length as well as familiar drama but let’s not forget there are criminals all over this narrative. The crime thriller elements work well as there is a visceral violence and gore presence in the film. Probably the most shocking is one brutal murder that leaves the audience hanging…as well as a prevalent body part. There are also pseudo-horror elements with a recurring motif of a red light lit Ed Harris scowling at the audience. Not only is this a frightening sight throughout the film (thanks to impeccable editing by Mark Towns) but it becomes a key to one of the biggest mysteries of the film and adds unnerving layers to Lou and her father.

Where does Glass’ most unique filmmaking tendencies show through? Outside of the eroticism, violence, and addiction, there is some impressive symbolism and magical realism that Glass channels in the film. When Jack finally gets to live her dream to perform at a bodybuilding competition (which at this point has been darkly twisted and bastardized), there are some haunting visuals that Jack (and the audience) see that channels the internal struggle of her character. But there is an even more significant motif that is sprinkled throughout the film that is both provocative and head-scratching. We see Jack…growing. When this finally pays off, it delivers one of the most otherworldly feelings in an otherwise dark, gritty, and ground affair. This moment feels extremely gratifying thanks to its deep-rooted connection to the themes of the film and the personal journey of Jack. 

How do the actors bring out the vision of Glass on screen? Stewart is a fantastic lead as she brings her reserved and closed off presence while showing that there is a fire deep down that is ready to burst. You buy the moments of raw expression in both the form of her lust for Jack as well as her sadness in the face of tragedy. O’Brian had quite the tightrope to walk and she delivered a career-making performance. O’Brian is authentic as a big smiling and charming Midwestern girl. But when the rage boils over, O’Brian sells the anger and danger in a raw and visceral way. When she comes down and is in an emotional broken state (you guessed it) she nails it again. Harris is tough and rugged as ever with this evil and dangerous man he brings to live. Franco is so good as the slimy little vermin of a man he portrays. Malone and Anna Baryshnikov each play significant supporting characters and do some great work with their limited screen time. 

Are you ready for one of the most unique and wild cinematic experiences of the year? Love Lies Bleeding is a filled steeped in so many elements and it is most impressive that Glass can deliver on so much. The period setting is pitch perfect for the narrative and the score (composed by Clint Mansell) is the perfect cinematic trappings to bring this 80’s style erotic thriller to life. Glass finds humor in the darkest of moments and thrills around every corner. Love Lies Bleeding is unabashedly hot, sexy, violence, provocative, and deeply resonant. Glass continues to show (along with her impressive cast and crew) that cinema can still shock us while offering up a wide range of emotions.