An at-times mesmerizing love story that spirals into a murderous crime spree, Love Lies Bleeding is a head-turning piece of fiction that falls victim to unnecessary weirdness.
Pulsing with a powerful score, the movie has Kristen Stewart’s Lou tangling with bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian). Their steamy romance goes sideways quickly. Director and co-writer Rose Glass catches your attention from minute one—again, the score by Clint Mansell plays a pivotal role—and holds, then squeezes, from there.
But Love Lies Bleeding lost me in its final minutes. Despite setting the stage for something great, Glass doesn’t quite wrap things up, opting for weird as if she didn’t quite know how to wrap up her story in a conventional way. What she does is a bold move–some will appreciate it more than me, no doubt.
Still, Love Lies Bleeding boasts a great atmosphere and killer performances by the two leads. Stewart is terrific as always, while lesser known O’Brian flexes her muscles in more ways than one. A creepy-looking Ed Harris is also very good, even if Glass doesn’t fully take advantage of his talents.
There’s a lot to like/love here and while it doesn’t all fully come together, Love Lies Bleeding is well worth a watch. Between this and Saint Maud, Glass has clearly established herself as a director to watch.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.