Rose Glass proves she’s a director to be remembered with this gritty sapphic thriller starring Kristen Stewart
BY AMBER MITCHELL-HANNA, IMAGE BY A24
If we’ve learnt anything from the success of Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, it’s that homoerotic sporty movies that have you on the edge of your seat are an instant win. Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen Stewart’s latest film, follows this rhetoric tenfold, adding a murderous road trip, a splash of surrealism, and 80s synth pop.
We’re instantly thrust into Lou’s (Kristen Stewart) world – she’s a quiet, reserved, yet alluring gym manager who seems to be a thorn poking out of her humdrum, stagnant town in New Mexico. Her life is beige and drab, but with red-tinted flashbacks, it’s clear she’s being haunted by her past. Then enters Jackie (Katy O’Brian), an ambitious, happy-go-lucky, free-spirited bodybuilder who is passing through to get to a bodybuilding competition in Vegas. She’s the splash of colour Lou has been craving, so it’s no surprise they’re drawn to each other like magnets from the get-go. The attraction between the characters (and the chemistry between the actors) is irrefutable. What begins as a fast-paced romance quickly develops into a sinister tale of obsession and brutality, and it’s not long before they get caught up in the criminal web that Lou’s bug-eating father, Lou Senior (Ed Harris) has spun.
Rose Glass, whose directorial debut was the 2021 psychological horror Saint Maud, is undeniably talented. The film is authentic and unapologetic – it knows what it is and isn’t afraid to be sexy, twisted, and anamorphic in its approach. The pacing of the film doesn’t allow you the time to question the narrative because you’re instantly hooked as if you’re a part of the film, witnessing this road trip to Vegas derail and descend into chaos. Kristen Stewart captures you instantly, but there’s no denying that Katy O’Brian shines and gives a standout performance. O’Brian, who is a real-life bodybuilder and has previously starred in Antman & The Wasp: Quantamania And The Mandalorian, supposedly bagged the role in 2022 by responding to a tweet about Kristen Stewart’s casting announcement and how her love interest was still being sought, with a picture of herself lifting and the words, “I’m free”. Swoon!
As well as the fantastic writing that had my mouth agape for almost all of the one hour and 44-minute runtime (courtesy of Rose Glass and Weronika Tofilska), Ben Fordesman’s cinematography and Mark Towns’ editing take the film to a whole new level of hypnotic, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. There’s symbolism entrenched through the veins of the movie, foreshadowing the dark consequences of the character’s actions or hinting at the egregious choices they’ve made previously. The soundtrack also comes in clutch, building the tension and helping propel the viewer through the story.
All in all, this gory, raw, sapphic thriller has cemented itself as an instant cult classic that will have you on the edge of your seat. The storyline and progression of the film are not only a testament to the seamless writing and magnetic chemistry between the actors, but also how well every individual involved understood the project – what the heart of Love Lies Bleeding is. I was not disappointed, and I doubt you will be too.
Love Lies Bleeding hits UK cinemas today (Friday 3 May) nationwide.
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