Rose Glass returns to the director’s chair 5 years after the critically acclaimed and hugely enjoyable Saint Maud (2019).
Love Lies Bleeding is a strange mix of genres. Where Saint Maud was an out and out horror film, Love Lies Bleeding flirts, not entirely satisfactorily, between being a noir thriller and fantasy horror.
The thriller part is the best part of the story and sees bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian), on her way to Las Vegas, turning up at a gym run by Lou (Kristen Stewart). Lou herself has issues in that her father (Ed Harris) is a local crook who is bringing himself to the attention of the FBI whilst her sister Beth (Jena Malone) is in a relationship with an abusive partner (Dave Franco).
After a murder occurs Jackie and Lou try and point the evidence towards Lou’s father in the hope that, given his many past indiscretions, the blame might fall squarely on his shoulders.
Love Lies Bleeding ticks along nicely but just when it looks as if it’s getting interesting in the final third Glass takes the story on a different path to what we were expecting. This wouldn’t be so bad if it fitted in with what’s went before but the change is so jarring it rather wastes what’s went before.
Love Lies Bleeding isn’t exactly original, why Glass chose to take a scene from Alex Garland’s Men (2022) and copy it is strange, or perhaps she’s never seen the aforementioned Men.
Katy O’Brian is terrific as Jackie whilst Kirsten Stewart mirrors about every other role she’s had since Twilight.
Love Lies Bleeding is good but it could have been even better if the director had rained in her desire to shock.
