Compulsive love and the intense crimes that accompany it are two of the leading signs that a relationship is toxic in real life. But in a film noir piece like the new romantic drama, Love Lies Bleeding, those characteristics make such a connection titillating and exciting.

The action-adventure movie is an intense, unconventional queer love story between two unstable women. The psychological thriller explores the destructive nature that drives their romantic relationship through strong performances and a visually captivating narrative.

The crime drama was directed by Saint Maud helmer, Rose Glass. She also wrote the script for the new film with Weronika Tofilska.

Set in a small desert town in rural New Mexico in 1989, Love Lies Bleeding follows reclusive gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) as she desperately looks for something – or someone – to revive her. That inspiration comes from Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a drifter from Oklahoma who shows up at the gym with ambitions to become a renowned bodybuilder.

Jackie is headed to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream, but stops in the small New Mexico town to earn money along the way. To do so, she begins an affair with JJ (Dave Franco), who’s married to Lou’s sister, Beth (Jena Malone). JJ is able to offer Jackie a job at the local shooting range, which is run by the sisters’ father, Lou Sr. (Ed Harris), who’s the town’s most feared man.

When Jackie realizes how volatile JJ’s marriage to Beth is, she decides to end their affair. She then begins to form a strong, intimate connection with Lou instead.

Jackie soon asks Lou if she can move in with her until she earns enough money to continue on to Las Vegas for the bodybuilding competition. However, their growing love ignites violence, which pulls them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.

Much like her storytelling efforts in Saint Maud, which marked her feature film writing and directorial debuts, the BAFTA-nominated Glass once again completely delves into the destructive nature of relationships in her sophomore effort. Like its predecessor, Love Lies Bleeding features strong performances that are set against an emotionally gripping narrative and visually stunning aesthetic.

A key distinction in the filmmaker’s new feature is that every actor, particularly Stewart and O’Brian – in a star-making role – portrays their character as unreliable and unhinged. The Oscar-nominated Twilight Saga alum and trained martial artist/MCU veteran offer dynamic, alluring performances as the star-crossed, yet equally toxic, lovers.

With Lou, Stewart, who has starred in a diverse multitude of independent and big studio movies, is finally given a complex, troubled character that truly suits her. While the story offers only fleeting insights into Lou’s history, which infuse the narrative with mystery, the character allows the actress to demonstrates her expansive acting range.

O’Brian, meanwhile, proves her versatility an emerging talent. With Jackie, she proves that she’s an actress who can embrace and confidently portray her characters authentically on screen. She does so whether she’s in emotionally charged scenes or using her martial arts skills to create physically-driven sequences, like when Jackie’s showing her bodybuilding skills.

As the drama’s scribe and helmer, Glass left elements of Lou and Jackie’s backgrounds and connection a mystery. As a result, she weaved elements of sporadic horror into the thriller’s story, which created a sense of surprise.

That tense unpredictability ultimately culminates in moments of true carnage as Lou and Jackie try to protect themselves and each other. In that emotional and physical destruction, Love Lies Bleeding‘s cinematographer, Ben Fordesman, captured enthralling shots that contrasts with the feature’s otherwise spirited visual tempo.

The way Fordesman captures the actresses’ performances on camera is striking, as he focused on the stages of their characters’ physical transformation. The movie’s visual arc notably showcases Jackie’s initial beauty, and then how her body changes as she grows into her bodybuilding form, particularly as she begins taking steroids.

Glass and Fordesman used a unique lens to chronicle Jackie’s muscular development. They did so by offering an intimate and innovative view into female characters’ physical development that’s rarely seen in Hollywood movies.

The filmmaking duo boldly highlights how Jackie wears her strength on the outside as she strives to achieve her professional bodybuilding goals, while also truly loving Lou. While Jackie takes pride in the physique of her thick arms and ripped abs, she also cherishes her connection with Lou.

As Lou, meanwhile, Stewart is the epitome of late ’80s style, with messy hair that features chopped bangs and a mullet. Also lean and emaciated-looking, especially when compared to her new lover, Lou is presented in the story as being determined to do whatever it takes to prove her love for Jackie. So Stewart proves her versatility as an actress by infusing the role with an sense of charged vulnerability, which goes against her signature cool facade.

Besides the instantly intense emotional connection between Lou and Jackie, Love Lies Bleeding further captures the signature visual aesthetic of the film noir genre by actually being shot in the quintessential landscapes of New Mexico.

The thriller features an authentic production design crafted by Katie Hickman that captures the grit of a rural American town in the late 1980s. As a result, Love Lies Bleeding‘s gritty and rustic atmosphere is reminiscent of a neo-western, which helps create the story’s rich suspense.

Following Saint Maud, Glass made her Sundance Film Festival debut with a grandiose, but equally grounded, sophomore effort. The boisterous lesbian love story between Lou and Jackie in Love Lies Bleeding is intriguingly interwove with dark family dynamics

Fueled by spirited visuals from Fordesman’s cinematography and Hickman’s production design, Glass’ bold visuals create a world that’s both grounded and entirely unique in the drama. Supported by Stewart and O’Brian’s complex emotional vulnerabilities and striking physicalities, Love Lies Bleeding powerfully romanticizes loyalty, which make it an instant film noir masterpiece.

Grade: A-

Check out more of Karen Benardello’s articles. 

Love Lies Bleeding made its world premiere in the Midnight section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. A24 is set to release the movie in theaters onLove Lies Bleeding March 8.