In 2019, director Rose Glass smashed onto the scene with her exciting and shocking feature debut, Saint Maud. The film’s basic conceit, a woman’s fight with her Catholic faith manifested as psychological horror, was nothing especially new. What felt new, however, was Glass’ ability to go for the throat. Those who relished in her courage to immerse viewers using intense, violent images will be happy to know the streak continues in her follow-up, Love Lies Bleeding.
Now with the platform of indie powerhouse A24, Glass continues to explore stories of characters’ inner demons while widening her range as a filmmaker both in genre and scope. Love Lies Bleeding combines elements of action thrillers, neo-noirs, and even body horror to create something entirely its own, though it goes so far off its own deep end that viewers will either be enthralled by the experience or claim shark jumping.
Set along the open roads of 1980s New Mexico, Glass sets her focus on two women: Lou (the always reliable Kristen Stewart), the quiet and lonely manager of a local training gym, and Jackie (the luminous Katy O’Brian in her breakthrough role), a humble but finely chiseled bodybuilder on her way to win a competition in Vegas. The two fall madly in love – Stewart and O’Brian’s chemistry is so strong it could move mountains – but, as with all beautiful romances, it doesn’t take long before trouble begins to brew.
After Jackie gets a job at a local shooting range run by Lou’s father, also Lou (an excellent Ed Harris), and brother-in-law, JJ (Dave Franco), she becomes entangled in the family’s messy past and even messier present. Things boil over when Jackie, witnessing Lou’s rage at the way JJ treats her sister, Beth (Jena Malone), takes matters into her own hands and begins to underestimate her own power.
Glass’ finely tuned cast, including strong supporting roles from David DeLao and Anna Baryshnikov, brings each role to life with impeccable detail. Each character’s performance is imbued with the weathered, quiet discontent of post-Western Americana, elevated by hair, makeup, and costumes that evoke everything you need to know before they even speak. However, the clear star is also the only outlier: O’Brian as Jackie.
Whereas the other characters require restraint, O’Brian’s twinkly-eyed heroine is unabashed in her pursuit of muscular glory to the point that it hurts her from the inside out. She begins as something out of a dream, however, Glass slowly incorporates a Cronenbergian mutation to her body’s toning that makes her grow more and more unkempt and violent. O’Brian handles this exponential character growth with both grace and fervor, an instantly star-making performance that has likely already set her career off to the races.
Love Lies Bleeding, as the title may suggest, is a violent film and scathingly so. Without spoilers, it leans on the gorier and bloodier end of the action thriller and will certainly shock audiences with how far it goes in making every impact count. The film explodes into a finale you truly wouldn’t believe even if this critic spoiled it for you, to the point that it becomes a question if the film earns its pulpiness.
The film begins as a fairly grounded exploration of Lou and Jackie’s entwined journeys, laced with build-up for what is teased as a gritty backstory. Once the film descends to violence, it heightens dramatically while not losing its quieter edge. However, over time, subtlety is lost in its pursuit of something far more entertaining, which is admirable. However, the supposedly shocking backstory is revealed as a relatively tame twist (especially in comparison to what we’ve already seen), which doesn’t necessarily earn the film its incredulous final sequence.
Will that ruin the film for some? Will it ultimately be of little care to others? The answer to both questions is yes. For this critic, regardless of how unruly the film’s final moments do become, the experience is an immensely exciting sophomore outing for Rose Glass. The British writer-director’s ability to intricately yet effortlessly construct a film from top to bottom – beautiful compositions, unnerving sound design, Shakespearean story structure – has only grown with more chances to shine.
Her genre-blending especially solidifies her as a talent that is not simply looking to break into horror but rather tell broader stories about destruction and faith. Last time, it was faith in God. This time, as can be felt in the film’s gorgeously rendered drama, it is about faith in each other and faith in love.
Love Lies Bleeding debuts in select theaters on March 8, 2024, and it will expand nationwide on March 14, courtesy of A24.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AULR_GPteNQ]
Though it comes unhinged toward the end, Rose Glass' sophomore outing is an enthralling thriller anchored by a star-making turn from Katy O'Brian.
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Larry Fried is a filmmaker, writer, and podcaster based in New Jersey. He is the host and creator of the podcast “My Favorite Movie is…,” a podcast dedicated to helping filmmakers make somebody’s next favorite movie. He is also the Visual Content Manager for Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization dedicated to competition and training opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities across the Garden State.
