From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.

For in-depth thoughts on Love Lies Bleeding, please see my colleague Larry Fried’s review from its original theatrical debut here.

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Love Lies Bleeding offers this stylish feature a dazzling presentation that is not to be missed. While the lack of an accompanying Blu-Ray makes it impossible to judge the degree of upgrade from the Blu-Ray (also available exclusively on the A24 website), we are confident that anyone who is 4K UHD capable will be stunned by the results. The transfer unleashes so much texture in the period clothing and the viscerally ripped and contoured muscles. Skin tones appear to be delicately detailed and natural with subtle elements apparent on faces such as blood, sweat, and pores. The few bits of extreme gore are hauntingly tactile on screen.

The utilization of Dolby Vision/HDR feels like an essential aspect of this viewing experience. The lighting and flashy cinematography alone are a delight for the senses. The screen is replete with vibrant colors and deep hues that are pinpoint accurate to their intended state. Black levels are perfect, staying deep and inky with fantastic detail. The highlights in the film are crisply defined with whites stable and balanced with no instances of blooming. The increased range of the color spectrum is a huge benefit on all fronts. A24 has offered up a standout 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a rip-roaring Dolby Atmos track that brings a surprising amount of complexity to this sound mix. You have to love the soundtrack and score from Clint Mansell that flows out of the speakers with supreme fidelity. Kinetic sequences crop up occasionally such as brutal beatings and gunshots that kick like a mule, but more subtle environmental sounds engage the surround speakers just as carefully.

Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The movie is teeming with textural qualities that make it feel alive such as the sounds of workout equipment at the gym. The Atmos experience stands out with the use of height channels to make the world feel more three-dimensional. Ambient sounds are heroically deployed in the rear channels to capture the unique qualities of the gentle space. The audio track is firing on all cylinders. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Rose Glass and Co-writer Weronika Tofilkska provide a great commentary track in which they discuss the process of developing the script, shooting on location, the production design and costumes, the work of the performers, the music in the film, the bits of the script that didn’t make it into the film, the challenges faced during shooting, technical elements, and much more.

Sex, Steroids, and Codependency: A 14-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the subversion of stories about “strong women”, the vision of Rose Glass, influences from the past, the tricky balance of the tone, what the performers bring to the characters, the genre-spanning love story, and more.

In The Land of Guns and Muscles: Another 14-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the time and place of the narrative, what the town means to the characters, the period production design, the impression and vibes they wanted to conjure with colors, and more that went into making this world.

Postcards: There are six collectible postcards featuring special photography by Beth Garrabrant, Anna Kooris, and Grace Pickering.

Final Thoughts

Love Lies Bleeding is an unexpected yet great sophomore effort from Rose Glass that is as shocking as Saint Maud, yet in very different ways. Glass admirably captures the desperate Americana aesthetic that is rich with personality. This provides a canvas on which she places some fascinating characters that go to extremes in numerous different ways. Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are in top form alongside a flawless ensemble. It is a wild ride that we love every minute of. A24 has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a reference A/V presentation and some desirable special features. This is one of the standouts of the year so far. Recommended

Love Lies Bleeding is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray exclusively at the A24 Shop.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: A24 has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.