Love Lies Bleeding is the second film from English filmmaker Rose Glass, after her debut Saint Maud in 2019. If there is such thing as a sophomore slump, it certainly does not apply to Glass. More and more female directors are getting their shot and it’s clear that after Love Lies Bleeding that Glass is a talent to keep an eye on.
Set in 1989 in New Mexico, Lou (Stewart) mindlessly works at a local, rundown gym. She soon meets Jackie (O’Brien), a bodybuilder from Oklahoma who is hitchhiking to Las Vegas to enter a body building competition, and quickly falls head over heels. The two develop a passionate, physical romance that quickly consumes the both of them. Prior to the both of them meeting one another, and unbeknownst to Lou, we learn that when Jackie needed money to fund her trip to Vegas, she had sex with a stranger named J.J. (Dave Franco) to earn a job at a nearby shooting range. We soon learn that the stranger is Lou’s abusive, wife hitting, brother-in-law, and the shooting range is owned by Lou’s father (Ed Harris), a manipulative gun smuggler. Jackie’s aspirational goals soon become swarmed by the criminal ties of Lou’s family. Soon, neither Jackie nor Lou are able to escape when J.J.’s abusive tendencies drive them both on a path of revenge. It’s further complicated by Lou’s father attempt to keep his criminal life stable.
Love Lies Bleeding epitomizes gritty 80’s culture aesthetic. Perms, mullets, porn ‘staches, cigarettes, booze, steroids, and bloodthirsty vengeful violence combined with a synth soundtrack, could almost pass for an early James Cameron film.
Glass blends reality and imagination. While movies will signify a clear visual style (soft focus and change in lighting, to name a few) to differentiate these realities, these techniques are notably absent. Past memories are obvious, casted in red hue against a pitch black background. But sometimes the present day questions if you’re about to go down the rabbit hole of fantasy or the supernatural. One moment towards the end is so jarring and out of place that it really hampers the experience. I would have found the ending more impactful if it stayed strictly realistic, but it appears Glass really wanted to pay homage to 1980’s transcendence.
I wish that Jackie had been given more character depth too. We know little of her past that brought her to New Mexico. We know there is some family tension that plays a role, but outside of one phone call, we really don’t learn a whole lot. Glass instead opts to have her become a monster fueled by steroids, resulting in a character that becomes rather shallow. Her wants are straightforward and her new persona teeters on the absurd.
The origin of Love-Lies Bleeding draws it’s name from Victorian times, when specific plants held different meanings. This plant (common name amaranthus caudatus) means hopeless love. I’d say that for our main characters, that’s pretty spot-on.
The film is a fun ride overall. It’s got plenty of good action, a tried and true storyline, and solid performances from across the board.
We happened to watch The Safdie Brothers film Good Time the previous night, where Kristen Stewart’s former Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson also finds himself in the belly of the criminal underworld. In a way, I think both of these films are actually quite complimentary of one another. At the end of the day, Twilight may have launched both of these actors into stardom, but their choice of roles in these respective films seems like a purposeful shedding of previous public perception.
★★★½
hunter albert 
Leave a comment