When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was convinced that it was made in a lab for my personal consumption. “Love Lies Bleeding” is a queer erotic thriller directed by Rose Glass and starring Kristen Stewart and Katy M. O’Brien. It tells the tale of a gym manager named Lou who falls for an aspiring female bodybuilder named Jackie. Unfortunately for the both of them, things start to go south when Jackie becomes caught up with Lou’s dangerous family and dark past. This, combined with Jackie’s extreme use of steroids in preparation for a Las Vegas bodybuilding competition, creates a perfect storm that will turn their love into something far more sinister. 

I mean … yes please, am I right? One of the aspects that immediately excited me about the film was its portrayal of two queer women in a way that felt like it was made for ‘the girls ™’. In the little sapphic representation that we do get in movies, the queer women depicted are almost always thin, very feminine and conventionally attractive. It often feels like these movies are trying to still appeal to a male audience by making the women in these relationships attractive to men. While I have nothing against very feminine queer women being portrayed in movies—after all, I’m a feminine queer woman myself—I am just sick of this being the only kind of representation that we get. I am both sick of it on a righteous level and on a significantly less righteous level. After all, many of us find more androgynous and butch women to be incredibly attractive, and we have been unjustly deprived of seeing them on our silver screens for far too long! In terms of this aspect, ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ did not disappoint. This movie never felt male-gazey, and I loved seeing a movie where even the more femme woman in the relationship is made of pure muscle. 

And yes, this movie is incredibly, incredibly sexy. The sex scenes in it are very well made and unique, often blurring the line between the erotic and the grotesque. The two actresses have amazing chemistry and the framing of the scenes made their yearning and desire palpable. If you go into this movie wanting to see hot lesbian gym manager Kristen Stewart and hot bodybuilder Katy O’Brien, you will not be disappointed. 

The stylistic elements were, in my opinion, the best parts of the movie. The cinematography was bold and beautiful, and the soundtrack kept me on the edge of my seat. There was one particular montage in the movie set to “Nice Mover” by Gina X Performance that combined the sensual, the mundane and the addictive. The opening montage that shows the gym-goers working out is also particularly brilliant. The bodies are framed in such a way that watching them feels strangely voyeuristic. In general, the way that muscles are shot in this movie is a masterclass. The production design of the movie is also very strong. It takes place in 1980s New Mexico, and the clothing, set and lighting all work to make you feel immersed in that time and place. The setting of the gym is a standout in all of its grimy glory. 

However, despite all of the praise that I have heaped on it thus far, I do think that
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ has some serious flaws. It often feels like an example of style over substance, and while I do not inherently have a problem with that, it doesn’t work for the genre of the crime thriller. The crime aspect of the movie primarily comes from the character of Lou’s dad, played by Ed Harris. He is certainly terrifying, but I don’t feel that his character or his criminal dealings are sufficiently explored. The actual “thriller” aspect of this erotic thriller just felt underdeveloped and uninspired. There isn’t enough build up to make the violence and drama of the last third of the movie feel truly earned, which ends up making it seem rushed and a bit sloppy. I also don’t think enough of the leads’ backstories or motivations are sufficiently explored, and we never got to see very far below the surface of anyone’s psyche. I was left thinking about aspects of the characters and backstory that I wished we had seen more of, and themes I wished were more thoroughly explored.  

The violence in this movie, despite the lack of proper build-up that would make it really sing, is still executed very well. The film’s “jumpscares” and moments of extreme violence are all genuinely shocking, and I heard the entire theater let out a collective gasp at quite a few points. I am rarely caught off guard during movies anymore, so I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I didn’t see these moments coming. ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ strikes a good balance with the amount of gore it includes, so the bloodiest scenes and images have genuine impact. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I thought that the unpredictable nature of the movie kept me thoroughly engaged despite the shallow plot. 

Another strong aspect of ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ was the acting performances. Kristen Stewart plays to her strengths, giving a subtle and sexy performance. She struggles a bit toward the end of the film when she has to express more anger and heightened emotions, but she mostly pulls it off. Katy O’Brien gives an impressive performance as Jackie, capturing the upbeat and slightly desperate spirit of the character and then making her dark spiral in the latter half of the film feel believable. She especially shines in a mind bending scene at her bodybuilding competition. Fun fact: O’Brien was actually a competitive bodybuilder herself, but she stopped because she didn’t want to have to start taking steroids to compete at higher levels. Ed Harris is chilling and campy as Lou’s criminal boss father, Jenna Malone simultaneously infuriated and tugged at my heartstrings as the tragic character of Lou’s sister and Dave Franco is perfectly despicable as Lou’s brother in law. However, the scene stealing, stand out performance of the film is definitely Anna Baryshnikov as Daisy, Lou’s ditzy staker with a crush. Daisy is both hilarious and utterly unsettling, and her teeth are a character in and of themselves. Anna is perfectly cast in the film, and I hope to see her in many more movies. 

Now, the element of the film that will likely be the most polarizing is that ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but I know that it will definitely be the aspect of the movie that will have audiences the most divided. Personally, I thought it mostly worked. It was obviously allegorical, and I think it suited the campiness and absurdity of the movie. However, I do understand why someone might be put off by just how surrealist it gets. The film builds to the conclusion with smaller surreal aspects throughout, but it reaches extreme new heights that I can’t say that I saw coming. I almost always appreciate a director swinging for the fences, so I will always have a soft spot for bold choices like this. Honestly, I think Rose Glass could have pushed the magical realism of the film even further. 

Overall, I had a lot of fun with “Love Lies Bleeding,” but it just didn’t live up to its full potential. The issues with the plot and the pacing left me wishing that it had been given one more draft. I would still very much recommend this movie, especially to anyone in its target demographic (AKA anyone who spent as much time as me looking at the Kristen Stwart Rolling Stone pictures), but I don’t think it comes close to matching the absolute brilliance that was “Saint Maud,” Rose Glass’s feature film debut. If you haven’t already, watch “Saint Maud” as soon as possible. Still, despite its flaws, “Love Lies Bleeding” is a thrilling ride that is worth watching. Don’t go into the movie expecting to see the film of the year, but do sit back and enjoy a bloody, campy, and stylistic neo-noir.  My biggest takeaway? I can’t wait to see what Rose Glass will do next.