I was pleasantly surprised by Rose Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding,” which is set for theatrical expansion next week. Don’t miss this one.
The film, co-written by Glass and Weronika Tofilska, is its own kind of noir — subtlety is thrown out the door, and the more it progresses, the more bonkers it gets. It’s all driven by Clint Mansell's synth score and Ben Fordesman's grimily poetic cinematography. The result is surreal, more like a fever dream.I loved how Glass embraced the film’s pulpiness and late 1980s atmosphere.
Kristen Stewart stars as Lou, a reclusive gym manager located in a grimy corner of New Mexico. Her deranged father (a scary Ed Harris) uses his shooting range as a front for his gun-distributing criminal activities. Meanwhile, Lou’s sister, Beth (Jena Malone), is married to JJ (Dave Franco), a sleazeball who beats her up any chance he gets. And Beth has the bruises to prove it.
Entering this world of bodybuilding, guns and machoism is Jackie (an amazing Katy O'Brian). Lou falls hard for her ripped physique. They both hit it off. But this is all just a setup for the physical and emotional chaos that’s about to hit them.
Glass plays with image and sound in ruthlessly efficient fashion. Don’t mistake her film for a love story, instead, “Love Lies Bleeding” is about people hurting people, both physically and emotionally. There’s also not a boring second in it. It just slams you with its kinetic nature.
It helps that Stewart is very good in the film, in a three dimensional role that has her embroiled in a whirlwind of different emotions, there are lots of ups and downs here for her Lou. O’Brian is the breakout, her Jackie is … complex. You’re never really sure what to make of her, and O’Brian injects the character with brains and brawn.
It’s all deviously orchestrated by Glass, whose 2019 horror debut, "Saint Maud," turned more than a few heads. However, she’s playing on a whole other level here. There’s major self-assuredness, and risk-taking, in the way she builds up the stakes. The over-the-top ending might not land, but I didn’t care, the film already had me under its noir-esque spell.
“Love Lies Bleeding” is also not for the faint of heart — there’s a visceral reaction to be had with all of the gore, blood and puking. I was utterly delighted by how unhinged the whole thing was. I almost wished that I hadn’t watched the at a morning press screening — “Love Lies Bleeding” should be seen late at night, it plays like the a midnight noir; the later, the better.