Love Lies Bleeding | REVIEW
Photo Source: A24 Films
Love Lies Bleeding is a muscular power house of a revenge flick centered on the queer love that blossoms between Lou, a reclusive chain-smoking gym manager, and Jackie, an out-of-town bodybuilder, at the outskirts of New Mexico. This movie feels its feelings intensely expressing its neo-noir love and wrath without restraint. The cast is small and vibrant, the setting remote, and the love and intimacy of our protagonists too big to contain in this claustrophobic town.
Love in this movie is an elusive thing to try to understand. At times it's abusive. Other times it’s unreciprocated. But in this movie, it is always a hot mess. And for me, the viewer, I like it.
Honorable Mentions
Things I love about the movie:
The Song Nice Mover by Gina X Performance
Red Light
Delusional Love
Things I didn’t like:
Ed Harris’ mullet
The sound of muscle growth
Throwing away the yokes
While the movie has a lot of heavy weight feelings, this emotionally fraught environment really emphasized Kristen Stewart as a comedic performer as she tries to constantly execute damage control in a shit show of a situation. I also really liked how much exercise there was in the movie. It was just satisfying to see. In many of those workout scenes, it’s impossible not to feel that strength start to ripple vicariously in one’s own body. Does anyone have a dumbbell? I bet I could lift it.
I’m also eager to see future performances of the two main actors Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart, preferably together whenever possible.
You should probably check out this film. It’s an all around good time and has a gorgeous physique. Watch this movie flex.
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SPOILED THOUGHTS
My friend wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, and I could see why. It certainly takes a fantastical turn, but nothing that the movie didn’t hint at being willing to do, And I liked the dream-like quality that it takes to escape its most oppressive moments. Plus who doesn’t want a couple giant lesbians dashing through cotton candy clouds into their unknown future.
Dave Franco’s death seeing was truly chilling to me. I was really eeked out by Jackie’s use of steroids but it felt like a necessary propellant for some of her outbursts and choices, whether it's headbutting Kristen Stewart or making Dave Franco eat a coffee table. And there was something about him saying “sorry” right before the crunch.
My favorite scene was the reveal where we find out Lou was actually complicit in many of her father’s crimes. Up to this moment, before the FBI confronts her, the movie shows her as an unwilling witness to murder and more. Throughout the movie, we’re shown red soaked scenes of a gun, Lou Sr.’s devilish smile, a man shot in the head, hints at a crucial moment. And then the FBI agent says “You were quite the sidekick,” and we see the same flashes, and this time we see Lou, gun in hand, happy to be there.
The last scene is absolutely hilarious and sweet, and goddamn I have such ambiguous feelings towards the character of Daisy. She got done dirty, but man like, chill out dude.
