LOVE LIES BLEEDING (2024) – Brutal, Erotic, and Bizarre!
Rating: ⭐⭐ 1/2
This is one movie that is so original and unlike anything you have seen before that it is actually quite difficult to describe or summarise in one sentence, but I will try… A lesbian gym staff falls in love with a female bodybuilder which leads to a series of unexpected turn of events that gets increasingly violent and offbeat. If there is anything that might provide a glimmer of hint to the kind of quirky and unconventional story you are about to see, is its writer director Rose Glass. Rose’s last movie was the deeply unsettling psychological horror trip called Saint Maud. Although Love Lies Bleeding’s theme and plot has nothing in common to Saint Maud, both do share one thing in common in their unorthodox and unpredictable characteristic. Rose Glass seems to be creating her trademark and identity, and it is totally a style of her own.
Kristen Stewart who has been openly gay for a while now, is for the first time taking on the role of a lesbian character here as the gym staff. She seems bent to take the opportunity to make up for lost time with some pretty racy sex scenes with her screen lover played by Katy O’Brian in the early part of the movie. These may actually alienate some more discerning or homophobic viewers but for those who stick around, they would be rewarded with a highly engaging and effective thriller than keeps you guessing what will happen next. While Kristen Stewart appears to be in top form here, I feel she is overshadowed somewhat by the remarkable performance of her co-star Katy O’Brian. As the bodybuilder with ambition to win a competition in Las Vegas, caught up unwittingly in a complex web of family feud, Katy brings forth an impressive screen presence with a strong energy. Then, there is Ed Harris all made up to look even older than he is already as the eccentric Lou Sr., who is the father to Kristen’s character. He steals the scene each time he appears and a delight to watch.
Just when I was feeling so thoroughly entertained by the whole thing, the film pulls a fast one on everyone in the final act with an absolutely bizarre ending. I will not spoil the movie for you by revealing what it was that was so damaging to the film, but you will know what I mean when you see it. It was so wacky and out of character that you will just want to mentally erase the scene and pretend it never happened. I am sure Rose Glass has her artistic and creative reasons to do it but for me (and I suspect for the majority of viewers), it just didn’t work. I would go so far as say that the ending made the whole movie less appealing on the whole. Nevertheless, I am still a fan of Rose Glass and will watch out for her future films anytime.