Sweat, skin, spandex, and synthesizers: These are the defining characteristics of writer and director Rose Glass’ 2024 queer thriller “Love Lies Bleeding.”
Set in 1980s New Mexico, the movie follows gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart), who is estranged from her father (Ed Harris) and spends her free time looking after her sister (Jena Malone), who is trapped in an abusive marriage. When hitchhiker Jackie (Katy O’Brian) turns up at the gym, Lou is immediately drawn to her. While Lou helps Jackie prepare for an upcoming Las Vegas bodybuilding competition, the two begin a tumultuous romance, but their plans are quickly disrupted when they find themselves the target of Lou’s crime-ridden family.
Viewers are thrust into an immersive depiction of ‘80s New Mexico from the very first scene. After emerging from a desert abyss, with a starry sky above, the camera slowly approaches Lou’s place of employment, bathed in red, neon light. Working at the gym is not glamorous, but working out at the gym is.
“Love Lies Bleeding” uses extreme closeups of veiny muscles, sweaty hairlines, and strained faces to show people from all walks of life as they join together and wield their physical strength. In the 1980s, gyms opened their doors to anyone hoping to improve their health, not just bodybuilders and professional athletes. This is the movie’s first introduction to the idea that nothing is more powerful than muscles, not even weapons.
Coupled with the opening scene is an anxiety-inducing score that proves “Love Lies Bleeding” will be more than just the glitz, glam, and neon tracksuits featured in the gym; it lets the viewers know that there is something dark and violent hiding under the film’s surface. The synth-heavy instrumentals are balanced with energetic ‘80s pop hits that make it impossible to forget the film’s time period.
Equal parts criminal thriller and sapphic romance, “Love Lies Bleeding” is reminiscent of 1996’s “Bound,” though fans of the former will not necessarily enjoy “Love Lies Bleeding.” While Stewart and O’Brian have phenomenal chemistry, and the romance between Lou and Jackie is electric, it is not always convincing; this is a fault of the script and not the actresses.
Stewart is beautifully awkward as Lou, who feels fully developed as a character. O’Brian’s Jackie is incredibly captivating, with a confidence that seems artificial. Jackie has what can best be described as a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde situation in the film, and O’Brian does a fantastic job at distinguishing between Jackie’s two personas, but there is not much exploration of why Jackie acts this way, and it is shocking that Lou is accepting of this behavior.
Viewers will enjoy the cinematography and special effects done during Jackie’s “episodes,” which are incredibly trippy and often disturbing. This is the closest one can get to understanding what occurs in Jackie’s brain, which the movie could have used more expansion on.
Unfortunately, the film’s crime aspects are less engrossing than its romantic ones. “Love Lies Bleeding” plays with red filters and flashback scenes to heighten its mystery, but viewers quickly catch on to what these scenes are alluding to, so they lose their “shock factor” early into its runtime. Occasionally, the crime plotline feels like an afterthought, or at least manipulated in illogical ways to make room for Lou and Jackie’s relationship. Still, the constant shifts from crime to romance make for a fast-paced, engaging watch.
Adding to the movie’s entertainment value is the comedy, which always appears at the most inappropriate times. Sometimes this is intentional, like when Lou cracks a joke in an ill-suited environment. Other times, what is meant to be shocking or scary is spoiled by bad CGI or pure absurdity. One minor example that can be seen in the trailer is Harris’s wig. Viewers cannot take his character seriously, let alone fear him, with the getup that he has on in the film. These moments make it easy to be taken out of the movie’s immersion, but they also make for an entertaining viewing experience — just maybe for the wrong reasons.
For those looking for a crime thriller that will keep them on the edge of their seat, they will not find it in “Love Lies Bleeding.” However, for those seeking a fun, sexy, empowering, gay, and fast-paced ‘80s period piece, “Love Lies Bleeding” is an excellent choice for the next movie night.
