Amor, Mentiras Y Sangre

Rose Glass, the visionary director behind Saint Maud, throws another punch with Love Lies Bleeding, a neo-noir crime thriller that's both stylish and unsettling. Lou, a cautious gym manager, has her world turned upside down when she develops feelings for Jackie, a dedicated bodybuilder in Las Vegas training for a competition (Katie O'Brian). Sparks fly, but their budding romance gets entangled with Lou's dark family secrets, propelling them down a violent path.

Love Lies Bleeding isn't afraid to push boundaries. It evokes memories of classic thrillers like Body Double, with its neon-drenched aesthetic and underlying themes of obsession and desire. However, Glass injects a contemporary dose of female empowerment, subverting the stereotypical femme fatale trope. Jackie isn't just a damsel in distress; she's a complex character with her own agency, which adds a layer of intrigue to the narrative.

The film's greatest strength lies in its central performances. Stewart delivers a raw and intense portrayal of Lou, a woman yearning for connection but burdened by her past. O'Brian matches her intensity, embodying the steely determination and vulnerability of Jackie with remarkable nuance. Their chemistry is undeniable, making us invested in their tumultuous relationship, even as things spiral out of control.

While the plot takes some wild turns, it's the film's thematic exploration that lingers. Glass dissects the destructive nature of desire, and the lengths people go to in the name of love-or perhaps, obsession. The violence, though brutal, feels purposeful, serving as a metaphor for the emotional turmoil the characters endure.

Admittedly, the pacing can be uneven at times. The first act establishes the characters and their connection beautifully, but the middle section drags a bit as the focus shifts towards the criminal underbelly. However, the film regains its momentum in the final act, culminating in a climax that's both shocking and strangely cathartic.

Technically, Love Lies Bleeding is a knockout. The cinematography is sharp, using bold colours and contrasting lighting to create a visually arresting world. The pounding score complements the film's intensity, while the editing keeps the narrative taut without sacrificing character development.

Love Lies Bleeding isn't for the faint of heart. It's a film that revels in its own darkness, challenging us with its graphic violence and unconventional love story. But for those seeking a neo-noir experience that's both thrilling and thought-provoking, this is a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Love Lies Bleeding is a film with flaws, but its bold direction, phenomenal performances, and exploration of complex themes make it a worthwhile watch, especially for fans of unconventional thrillers. Just be prepared for a wild ride.

This isn't some jam down your throat gay movie. It's a movie with characters that happen to be gay. As someone who typically gets annoyed by movies that attempt this over the last decade now, I would say it wasn't overwhelming or assertive at all. Straight forward plot, but never getting too predictable. It does a wonderful job of showing fresh exciting love being deconstructed by the realities of life very well.

It was also the perfect length. It never feels like it's dragging on or being rushed.

Acting was above average for today's standards. Nobodies acting got in the way of the plot. Overall decent way to spend an early afternoon.

Expect of heavy sex scenes in the first third or so btw.

Let me preface this review that I liked both characters, loved the gritty atmosphere and the outstanding cinematography and production design. Unfortunately the great direction can not substitute an unfocused script. The heavy-handed metaphors are superfluous and it reminded me of another A24 gamble that missed it's mark called Lamb (2021). It never really knows what it really wants to be: gritty crime thriller or drama ,it falls short in both genres. And depending on your suspension of disbelief the ending will be hit or miss. The movie does something towards the end, which will split the audience. Some people will love it, others wil be confused. I found it to be a creative cop-out. It is unnecessarily pretentious, because up to this point the movie was doing fine: a bit illogical, but a good ending would have still managed catch the curve. There's also a problem with the character of Jackie being quite underdeveloped. It's not the actresses' fault, both actresses deliver damn good performances, especially with the pastiche dialogues. It's just sems like you have seen it all before, but better. Especially the presence of Ed Harris invoked memories of Cronenberg's History of Violence, but whereas Cronenberg manages to ride the fine line between comical/surreal exagerration and authentic drama. Love Lies Bleeding tries to do go all in on caricature and loses it's gamble. It's a shame because I liked the epilogue, even the end credits are charming. But it's that crucial piece near the end, that never provided that heartfelt catharsis or an inventive solution. It's still an entertaining movie overall , it's best though to lower expectations towards the end.

Sadly the film isn't as amazing as I hoped it would be.

The two main characters have great chemistry and the style of the movie is pretty cool but the script is kinda lame. I don't mind a simple story but in this case it felt like there was missed potential somehow. I really expected to love this movie but even though it had some very nice moments and the direction was superb, it was a bit of a letdown.

I feel like there was nothing I could take away from the story - nothing I learned...

And at the same time, even though the style is cool, this type of look and music for a film of this genre is pretty standard these days when it comes to independent films. It's the old "Drive" Nicolas Winding Refn thing from the perspective of a female director. I feel like this type of movie is starting to get a bit old maybe.

This is definitely not a must-see, but you will probably have a good time in the cinema if you are into the trailer.

The acting is really good. The chemistry between Kristen and Katy (beefy chick) felt very natural. Say what you will about Kristen in the Twilight movies, but she's got some serious acting chops. She did a banger job in this movie. Ed Harris's hair is crazy evil and his performance is up there with Kristen's. Dave Franco was funny, but I also hated his character. The movie has some unexpected dark humor at times, which was surprising given its dark and gritty look. There's some good use of sound design, there's a lot of squishy noises throughout the movie. The soundtrack is solid as well. The movie's got its own distinct style. Cinematography was pretty impressive. They made some really nice creative decisions with certain shots and the way they filmed certain scenes.

This movie is equal parts intense, violent, unsettling and funny at times. I don't know what it is about A24 but they always seem to do weird things in the movies they release. Overall, the movie was fine with the exception of two moments where it turned really weird and of course both of those moments could be seen as metaphorical. This movie takes a downward spiral where things get pretty dark and out of control. In essence, this movie is about love, obsession, addiction, past trauma, toxic relationships and extremely flawed characters. Unfortunately there's not a single character with a redeeming quality by the end of the movie that you can cheer for or relate to, and this makes it hard to truly get invested in. The beginning part of the movie was the best. But once things start to spiral out of control, it becomes unsettling, intense and not the most pleasant of rides. Although I was glued to the screen while watching and it was entertaining, I don't think I'd watch this one again. I can recommend it though.