I knew I was going to love Love Lies Bleeding from the first moment I heard about it. Not only did the story take us back to my favorite decade, the eighties, but it also featured female bodybuilders. I’ll elaborate on that a bit later. The cast was just mwah. In the lead role was Kristen Stewart, who’s come a long way from that shy girl in Twilight. And I constantly keep praising her performances since that debacle. Opposite her was this muscular chick who I didn’t know but seemed confident enough. And to top it all off we had the legend that is Ed Harris and Dave Franco whom I like for some unknown reason.
I didn’t want to watch it in a theater as I felt this was going to be a personal affair. I mean, I didn’t plan on masturbating for ninety minutes over sweaty and tight bodies just to be clear. I’ve waited and waited for the right release and finally, last night, I was ready to check it out. And right away I have to tell you that the movie was even better than I thought it was going to be. Love Lies Bleeding is a unique and highly atmospheric neo-noir thriller not afraid to veer off the beaten path all the while remaining tethered to it. It’s quite graphic, depicting both sexual and violent acts just as intense as they are in real life.
At its heart, this is a love story anchored by a classic crime plot we’ve seen a thousand times before. The opening scene feels like Generation Iron compressed into a two-minute vignette. We will be following Lou, a young woman running a gym in a small town in New Mexico. The year is 1989 and bodybuilding is incredibly popular. One day, dashing and muscular Jackie walks through the door and sweeps Lou off her feet. From that moment on, things will start to get increasingly complex and deadly even, for both of them. This is one of those movies that’s going to grip you like a motherfucker from the first fucking moment.
It’s immersive and almost magical, offering stellar performances and excellent storytelling. I was especially blown away by that juicy storytelling. Everything starts so casually, slowly hooking us in. Once you’ve taken the bait, the narrative starts diverging and twisting. Every once in a while you’ll be hit over the head with an unusually brutal surprise. A risky brutal surprise that’s going to make you love this movie even more. Granted, the mid-section was a bit slower but the grand finale more than made up for that. I know that some people won’t like it but I did. Just think of the ending of Love Lies Bleeding like this and you should be fine: visuals represent emotions and not reality. Something that the very last thirty seconds of the movie confirm.
Female bodybuilding is something I’ve noticed trending in the last few years. Hell, even I became quite interested and drawn to these muscle goddesses. I don’t like very much the popular term muscle mommies. If you want to know more about female bodybuilding, check out Chikara’s YouTube channel. She’s so cool. There are also two documentaries you should watch: Pumping Iron II: The Women (1985) and Too Big For The World (2016). At this point, I think you’re beginning to glimpse the recipe and its ingredients.
You’ve got a lesbian romance, sleek and nostalgic visuals drawing from that eighties allure, a hot and unexplored topic of female bodybuilding, and a classic family drama/crime plot making everything tick. I also shouldn’t forget quite a decent character development. Oddly enough, Love Lies Bleeding does not feel commercial or like it’s taking advantage of its hot topics. It’s just that damn good, a genuinely well-crafted steroid-infused femininity-affirming masterpiece. Above everything else, this is a creative and refreshing release I think will appeal to everyone.
If you take all of this into account, it comes as no surprise that this is an A24 movie. I know they release a lot of pretentious and “artsy” movies but they also release a lot of masterpieces. If you look at their post-2020 catalog, it’s fucking great. However, I think most of the viewers got to know them back in 2018 when Hereditary took everyone by surprise. I should also mention some of my favorite A24 movies: Tusk, Green Room, Free Fire, and A Prayer Before Dawn. I have to admit that I didn’t like Rose Glass’ debut movie, the 2019 elevated horror Saint Maud. But I loved this one.
Love Lies Bleeding subverts the classical female heroine archetype by pushing it into the real world. Stewart gave another phenomenal performance but former competitive bodybuilder Katy O’Brian blew me away. She was subtle when she needed to and larger-than-life when the scene called for it. A rising star, you’ll have to agree. I also simply must mention Anna Baryshnikov who plays Daisy, a girl you surely know if you’ve spent some time in a small town. Finally, if you’re looking for similar movies do check out Subversive Rabbit’s selection of Noir Movies and Small Town Crime Movies.
Director: Rose Glass
Writers: Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Dave Franco, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov
Fun Facts: Ed Harris wanted to make a practical joke with his long blond wig but the director Rose Glass liked his appearance so much he ended up wearing it in the movie.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19637052/
