Review: Love Lies Bleeding

It’s love at first sweat when gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) meets bodybuilder Jackie (Katy M. O’Brian). Unbeknownst to the couple, Jackie lands a job with Lou’s father (Ed Harris), whose shady past immediately weighs heavily on their relationship and leads to a dark turn.

Director Rose Glass takes some big swings in this crime noir, where horror impacts a devastatingly romantic relationship. Most films set in the 1980s have this inviting, dreamlike air to them, filled with nostalgia and pops of color. Love Lies Bleeding is a stark contrast to that, with a seedy and greasy aesthetic. Layers of grime fill every scene as you enter the dark town infested with bad things.

The production design is incredible. It’s not a world you want to live in, but you can understand it just by seeing how dirty and sweaty everything is. There seems to be a tinge of rust that makes it feel lived in. The grittiness and constant red glow create a texture to the wild, bloody, crime-filled world we’re stepping into.

This is perhaps Kristen Stewart’s best performance to date. Her demur demeanor perfectly encapsulates her character’s past and present, making you fully believe that she has been through hard times and is haunted by the weight of that past. When she meets Jackie, you fully believe she has fallen in love at first sight, and she carries that believability throughout the film. Katy M. O’Brian is perfect for Jackie. Not only is she physically fit for the role, but her innocent eyes and electric smile draw you into the emotion she displays when everything spirals. You feel her love, ambition, pain, and anguish.

There is something to be said about a female director taking on intimate scenes. Together, the two are sexy and sweet. Nothing is played for “shock value” in their relationship, and a sense of care is felt through the camera lens. You fully believe they are in love and would do anything for the other person. That chemistry is needed as the film goes to weird and insane places.

Ed Harris is terrifying as Lou’s father. There is a stillness portrayed that exudes power. Looking at the man, you can tell that he has a dark side and rules the town with an iron fist. This is a man you do not cross, and when the film inevitably does cross him, you’re filled with horror for every character.

Love Lies Bleeding is a crime thriller with dark humor. It is devastatingly romantic and shockingly gory. The chemistry between the two leads is off the charts, and the gritty world-building is incredible. Director Rose Glass takes this film to weird and wild places that may not be for everyone, but if you let yourself be open to it, it’s insane and chaotic in the best way possible.