Love Lies Bleeding
A24 (2024)
When I got my ticket, the woman behind the counter told me that two older ladies walked out after the first 20 minutes of this film. That's all the advertisement that I need to know that I'm going to be in for a fun flick.
This movie is a love story, crime drama, and revenge tale in equal parts. There were a couple of the steroid scenes that reminded me a bit of Requiem For A Dream in that it tiptoes into anti-drug PSA territory, but it quickly pulls back each time to put you back into the story. Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian both deliver a phenomenal performance. Ed Harris is excellent as well. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but I think his character looked like Fried Barry.
This movie was shot beautifully, which is something of a trademark for A24 films. The only critique I have is that it could have done without the odd visual effect in the second-to-last scene. I won't spoil things, but trust me... you'll know it when you see it. I'm not opposed to symbolism, but there are times when it adds to the film and times when it comes across as ridiculous and does more to hurt the scene than to help it. In this case, the scene that I'm referring to is unfortunately the latter. It's not so bad that it ruined the movie, but it definitely took me out of the story and made me roll my eyes at a key moment.
This isn't the kind of movie that I'd recommend to everybody, but there's definitely a subset of folks who are going to fall in love with this flick and I am part of that subset. If you do go to see it in theaters, try your very best not to get drunk, whip out your penis and fall asleep with it still in your hand. I hear that it's a good way to get yourself arrested in Detroit.
