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LOVE LIES BLEEDING

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Dave Franco, Ed Harris, Anna Baryshnikov, and Jena Malone
Director: Rose Glass

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CALEB

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Love Lies Bleeding starts off relatively tame, but before I knew it, I was on the edge of my seat. Director Rose Glass successfully creates a tense, oppressive atmosphere, complete with grungy sets, an overwhelming soundscape, and some seriously sickening visuals. The romance at the heart of the film could’ve been more fleshed out, but thankfully the chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian is strong enough to compensate for most of the script’s shortcomings. Love Lies Bleeding won’t be for everyone, but its unsettling fusion of romance, crime, and body horror made for an experience I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

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PAIGE

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Lesbi-honest, Love Lies Bleeding is A24’s She-Hulk, just with more blood and violence. This gritty and erotic tale of love and revenge doesn’t hold much back. While it does take some bizarre swings in the third act, director Rose Glass does an amazing job creating an exciting neo-noir that is driven by the passion-fueled performances by Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, and especially Anna Baryshnikov. Overall, the movie has a bold plot and amazing cinematography, making it utterly electric. However, I have to say that it seems to be more focused on style than substance.

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NICK

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Much like last year's Finestkind, Love Lies Bleeding is another grounded film that is undone by its choice to morph into a crime thriller. Early on, there is a throwback griminess paired with a banger of a soundtrack that really sets the tone for the type of film director Rose Glass seemingly wants to make. Then, in an instant, all of that is abandoned. The quality in everything, from individual performances to the aforementioned soundtrack, diminishes, and the film I was enjoying gets a little too ridiculous for its own good. The tonal change may work for some, but it ruined the picture for me.

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AMARÚ

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Love Lies Bleeding is an intense and unforgiving story that shows the lengths some will go for love and lust…and the blurred lines between them. But mostly, it’s a showcase for budding stars Katy O’Brian and director Rose Glass. O’Brian’s fierceness shines amongst veteran stalwarts Ed Harris and Kristen Stewart, and she’s the vehicle in which Glass shows off a unique penchant for mixing drama, crime, and horror elements. The only genre-mixing that doesn’t work is some of the fantasy aspects that stand out alongside a few plot contrivances; however, I admire Glass’ choice to let her voice swing big.

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ADRIANO

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Love Lies Bleeding is a lot. I can't pretend it all flows gracefully, especially towards its wonky third act, but at its peak, this film cements Rose Glass as one of our more interesting directors. Bleeding offers a genre-bending ride that is fun, romantic, tense, and squirm-inducing, all at once. The crime aspects don't always work, at least not as much as the film's love story, but it gives us a fantastic performance from Katy O'Brian. Overall, the central story on the dangers of obsession is enough to forgive the shortcomings and just have a blast while watching.

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QUENTIN

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Love Lies Bleeding is a perfect example of a movie not equaling the sum of its parts. There truly is a lot to love, from the 80s griminess to Katy O’Brian’s star-making performance to Ed Harris’ amazing skullet. Rose Glass directs the hell out of this thing too, creating a movie that is visceral and immersive. So, why was I generally unimpressed by the movie as a whole? The slow burn is a little too slow, the story is filled with an abundance of contrivances and conveniences, and the fantastical ending is just silly. I didn’t hate it, but it could have been so much better.

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