Love Lies Bleeding

Didn't know a lot about this film before checking it out. Saw the cast, trailer and its a thriller, you can count me in.

Overall found this film to be super enjoyable, stylish, bold, shocking and totally unsettling in parts. Basically everything you could ask for from a modern day thriller. Loved the central dynamic/relationship between the two leads. Felt incredibly natural and down to earth. Exactly why the more bonkers stuff works because the basics have been done so so well. Kristen Stewart and Katy M O'Brian are both stellar throughout. Also have to shoutout Ed Harris, with of the most ridiculously amazing looks one of his characters has ever had. Incredibly powerful, and unnerving. Again I believe only Harris could do this role.

Directing, cinematography and sound are incredible! Absorbs you into the world seamlessly. Absolute feast for the eyes and ears all the way through. The colour palette is off the charts with this film, extremely vibrant and fitting for the craziness of the story.

75% out of 100. Great chemistry with central characters and backstories you believe. Performances are great. Story has all sort of surprises, which will keep you guessing. This is a great modern day thriller that is easily accessible and a joy to watch. Don't sleep on this film!

Let me preface this review that I liked both characters, loved the gritty atmosphere and the outstanding cinematography and production design. Unfortunately the great direction can not substitute an unfocused script. The heavy-handed metaphors are superfluous and it reminded me of another A24 gamble that missed it's mark called Lamb (2021). It never really knows what it really wants to be: gritty crime thriller or drama ,it falls short in both genres. And depending on your suspension of disbelief the ending will be hit or miss. The movie does something towards the end, which will split the audience. Some people will love it, others wil be confused. I found it to be a creative cop-out. It is unnecessarily pretentious, because up to this point the movie was doing fine: a bit illogical, but a good ending would have still managed catch the curve. There's also a problem with the character of Jackie being quite underdeveloped. It's not the actresses' fault, both actresses deliver damn good performances, especially with the pastiche dialogues. It's just sems like you have seen it all before, but better. Especially the presence of Ed Harris invoked memories of Cronenberg's History of Violence, but whereas Cronenberg manages to ride the fine line between comical/surreal exagerration and authentic drama. Love Lies Bleeding tries to do go all in on caricature and loses it's gamble. It's a shame because I liked the epilogue, even the end credits are charming. But it's that crucial piece near the end, that never provided that heartfelt catharsis or an inventive solution. It's still an entertaining movie overall , it's best though to lower expectations towards the end.

"Love Lies Bleeding" is a film that thrives in its own niche, daring to be both over-the-top and deeply atmospheric. It's a world where everything, from its violent outbursts to its steamy intimacy, feels purposeful-an intricate blend of camp, nostalgia, and chaos. At its core, this movie is a study of excess in its most raw form, drawing on elements of classic action cinema while flipping gender roles and expectations on their head.

One of the movie's standout qualities is its commitment to visual storytelling. The cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking. Every shot feels deliberate, with the careful attention to detail elevating the film beyond what could have been a simple B-movie homage into something visually compelling and emotionally charged. Ben Fordesman's direction provides a layer of sincerity that helps ground the more outlandish elements of the film.

The performances are another highlight, with Katy O'Brien and Kristen Stewart shining in roles that could easily have slipped into caricature if not handled with such intensity and nuance. O'Brien, in particular, commands attention with her imposing presence, while Stewart's portrayal of a character tangled in family trauma and chaos is both chaotic and captivating. The chemistry between the two is palpable, creating an interesting dynamic that powers the emotional core of the film.

However, "Love Lies Bleeding" isn't without its flaws. The pacing occasionally dips, and while the campy nature of the film is intentional, there are moments where it feels like it strays a bit too far into the absurd, potentially leaving some viewers disengaged. The film also dances around its themes of vengeance and redemption with mixed results, leaving certain narrative beats feeling more hollow than profound.

The dialogue, while sharp and often witty, can be a bit heavy-handed at times, as the movie clearly enjoys reveling in its own metaphorical and symbolic richness. That being said, if you're willing to embrace its heightened reality, it does offer plenty of material for interpretation and rewatching.

What truly sets "Love Lies Bleeding" apart is its unapologetic embrace of everything that makes it strange, from its hyper-stylized violence to its seductive surrealism. The film doesn't just follow in the footsteps of its influences-it creates its own singular experience that somehow manages to feel both timeless and contemporary.

For those looking for a film that doesn't fit neatly into a genre box and is willing to engage with its chaotic, offbeat world, "Love Lies Bleeding" is a wild, unforgettable ride. But if you're after something more grounded or conventional, this might not be the film for you.

In the end, "Love Lies Bleeding" is an acquired taste-one that will leave some mesmerized and others scratching their heads. Either way, it's certainly not a film you'll forget easily.

Kristen Stewart is a talented performer known for making both good and dreary movies better. Her restlessness and unquiet presence draw audiences in, making her a captivating character. In her latest film, "Love Lies Bleeding," Stewart plays Lou, a small-town loner in New Mexico, who yearns to escape a classic dead end. In the '80s, Lou works in a gym, where she spends her time fixing jalopies and slipping steroids. A beautiful stranger named Jackie (played by Katy O'Brian) catches Lou's eye, setting the movie on an incendiary path. The movie features violence, guns, spooky flashbacks, and a classic villain played by Ed Harris. The film is filled with extravagantly bad hair, rotten teeth, and souls, making it an exciting and captivating experience for viewers. The film also features a classic villain, played by Ed Harris, who delivers a sneer and an epically terrible wig. Overall, "Love Lies Bleeding" is a thrilling and captivating film that showcases Stewart's talent in making movies better and more enjoyable. "Love Lies Bleeding" is a thriller directed by Rose Glass, who has a background in James M. Cain and Jim Thompson novels. The film follows Jackie, a bodybuilder, and Lou, a drifter who meets his kismet at the gym. They connect after the gym closes, and their relationship is marked by a violent confrontation between Jackie and a gym rat. The story quickly heats up as Jackie drifts into town, landing a job to earn money. She crashes with Lou, who is eager for Jackie to stay. Lou remains super-jumpy and wary, and Stewart gives her character a tremulous energy that vibrates in her every look, gesture, and head bob. Glass borrows liberally but not mindlessly, taking familiar themes and clichés like romantic doom and family trauma and playfully bending them to her purposes. She upends the heterosexual coupling that powers many movies, including gun-crazed noirs where violence is sex (and vice versa). Glass deploys her allusions and, with her two beautifully synchronized leads, distills what's pleasurable from them while leaving behind old ugly ideas about women. The film is enjoyable because it uses dark and oh-so-sweet elements, with the greatest danger and thrill being finally love. Glass looks back and she looks forward, going dark and oh-so-sweet in a thriller where the greatest danger and thrill is finally love.

Sadly the film isn't as amazing as I hoped it would be.

The two main characters have great chemistry and the style of the movie is pretty cool but the script is kinda lame. I don't mind a simple story but in this case it felt like there was missed potential somehow. I really expected to love this movie but even though it had some very nice moments and the direction was superb, it was a bit of a letdown.

I feel like there was nothing I could take away from the story - nothing I learned...

And at the same time, even though the style is cool, this type of look and music for a film of this genre is pretty standard these days when it comes to independent films. It's the old "Drive" Nicolas Winding Refn thing from the perspective of a female director. I feel like this type of movie is starting to get a bit old maybe.

This is definitely not a must-see, but you will probably have a good time in the cinema if you are into the trailer.