Film Review: ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ is a Bloody and Pulpy Crime Romance with Style to Spare

Mixing bloody violence and intense romance is no easy task. One can certainly taint the other, or one can make the other seem out of place. To mesh them well, while still telling a compelling narrative, asks a lot of a filmmaker. Luckily, for Rose Glass‘ sophomore feature, Love Lies Bleeding manages to merge those disparate elements into something very different. The film is gory, sexy, and deeply weird. It’s not a movie that will be for everyone, but if you like an A24 independent flick, this is bound to be up your alley.

Love Lies Bleeding reminded me a lot of Bound, which is a definite compliment. The lusting of a sexual romance, alongside the violence of the criminal underworld, makes for a clear comparison. This is a more stylized work, with its periodic surreal elements. It might have higher highs, but it does have lower lows. So, while this is an enjoyable and definitely unique work, it’s far from a flawless one.

Lou (Kristen Stewart) is reclusive gym manager in the sort of small town where everyone knows what everyone else is up to. She leads a solitary life, periodically flirted with by Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov), but mostly the sort of existence that yearns for a connection that eludes her. Lou helps her sister Beth (Jena Malone) with her kids, while scowling at Beth’s abusive husband JJ (Dave Franco). One day Jackie (Katy O’Brian), an ambitious bodybuilder, arrives in town. She’s on her way to Las Vegas for a competition, but as soon as she enters into the gym, she and Lou connect.

Falling almost instantly for Jackie, Lou begins a passionate affair, leading to Jackie staying in town for a bit. However, the job she gets, set up by JJ, no less, is at a gun range run by Lou Sr. (Ed Harris). Lou Sr. hasn’t been the best of fathers, especially given his criminal dealings, but he has a relationship with Beth and JJ that he doesn’t with his other daughter. Events are about to change that, however, and impact the lives of everyone around them. Violence is about to be added to the passionate sex life of the two newfound lovers.

The cast, led by Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart, commits to the material. O’Brian and Stewart have a volitile chemistry that permeates all of their scenes. The physical presence and intensity of the former, as well as the consistently surprising nature of the latter, mix deftly. O’Brian really breaks through here, while Stewart adds another ace turn to her impressive resume. Ed Harris is captivating whenever he’s on screen, while Dave Franco and Jena Malone are solid in roles that don’t ask a ton of them. In addition to Anna Baryshnikov, supporting players here include Matthew Blood-Smyth, Orion Carrington, David DeLao, and more.

Filmmaker Rose Glass has a definite sense of style on display here. Directing a script she co-wrote with Weronika Tofilska, Glass has a fairly grounded story periodically interrupted with fantasy style elements. Love Lies Bleeding literally bleeds over into the surreal at certain moments, and while they easily could be excised and the film could have been a gritty romantic crime drama, the surrealism that pops up lends it an awful lot of personality. It really does feel like no one else would have made this movie like Glass does. That counts for a lot. The tone can be a bit all over the place and the ending leaves a bit to be desired, but the good definitely outweighs the bad.

Love Lies Bleeding has some flaws, but it also has so much personality that it wins you over. It’s a bloody good time, especially if you can get on its wavelength. Kristen Stewart fans will see her doing something very different, while Katy O’Brian turns in the kind of work that will gain her some fans in a hurry. Especially if you’re down for something weird, this is the kind of movie that will develop a cult following in short order.

SCORE: ★★★