Love Lies Bleeding (2024): A Tale of Obsession and Love- casts, plot and more

• Kristen Stewart as Lou: Kristen Stewart, known for her roles in “Twilight” and “Spencer,” plays Lou, a reclusive gym manager. Lou’s life takes a turn when she falls for Jackie, a bodybuilder who is passing through town.
• Katy O’Brian as Jackie: Katy O’Brian, a real-life competitive bodybuilder turned actress, portrays Jackie. Jackie’s ambition to win a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas brings her into Lou’s life.
• Ed Harris as Lou Sr.: Veteran actor Ed Harris plays Lou Sr., Lou’s father. Lou Sr. owns a shooting range and his actions add a layer of complexity to the story.
• Jena Malone as Beth: Jena Malone, known for her roles in “The Hunger Games” and “The Neon Demon,” plays Beth, Lou’s sister. Beth’s relationship with her husband J.J. and her interactions with Lou and Jackie contribute to the film’s drama.
• Anna Baryshnikov as Daisy: Anna Baryshnikov, known for her roles in “Manchester by the Sea” and “Dickinson,” plays Daisy, a character who admires Lou.
• Dave Franco as J.J.: Dave Franco, known for his roles in “Now You See Me” and “The Disaster Artist,” plays J.J., Beth’s husband. His actions and decisions have significant consequences for the characters.
• Eldon Jones as Billy.
• Catherine Haun as Gym Woman.
• Orion Carrington as O’Riley.
• Matthew Blood-Smyth as Dave.
• Keith Jardine as Chester.
• Jerry G. Angelo as Mikey.
• Tait Fletcher as Nate.
• Jamie Javier Guerreo as Henchman (as Jamie Javier Guerrero Jr.).
• Roger Ivens as Blindfolded Man.
• Kim S. Monti as Nurse.
• David DeLao as Officer Mike.
• Mikandrew as Stoney Owen.
• Hilary Fleming as Sharon.
• Lontrell Anderson as Vegas Cop.
• Yvette Fazio-Delaney as Waitress #2 (uncredited).
• J Diego Gonçalves as Gun Club Patron (uncredited).
• Crystal Mayes as Spectator (uncredited).
• Gonzalo Robles as Bar Patron (uncredited).
• Jessica Sharples as Drunk Woman’s Friend (uncredited)

“Love Lies Bleeding” is a romantic thriller film set in 1989. The film chronicles the relationship between Lou, a reclusive gym manager, and Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder.

Lou, portrayed by Kristen Stewart, falls in love with Jackie, played by Katy O’Brian, when Jackie works out at her gym. Unbeknownst to Jackie, she had just gotten a job at a shooting range owned by Lou’s father, Lou Sr., after having an affair with Lou’s brother-in-law, J.J. Jackie is a vagrant, passing through town on her way to a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas.

Lou offers Jackie steroids, which Jackie initially refuses but ends up taking. The two have sex and Jackie asks to stay at Lou’s apartment. The pair have dinner with J.J. and Beth, Lou’s sister who doesn’t fully realize his abusive actions. Lou defends Beth and threatens J.J. In return, he tells Lou that he had sex with Jackie, which angers her.

While driving home, Lou forces Jackie out of the car, mentioning she wants J.J. dead, but hurriedly lets her back in when FBI agents arrive. The next day at the hospital, Lou visits Beth, who has been admitted after J.J. battered her; Lou Sr. arrives and promises to care for Beth.

Jackie, still emotionally unstable from the steroids, breaks into J.J.’s home and brutally beats him to death. A distressed Lou arrives at the scene, admitting she didn’t actually want J.J. dead. The two drive his corpse and car into a ravine, where Lou formerly helped her father kill his business rivals and dispose of their bodies.

On the way there, Lou’s friend Daisy, who is infatuated with her, spots them and makes note of Jackie driving Lou’s truck. Lou cleans up evidence of the murder while Jackie continues her steroid abuse, growing more agitated. After an argument, she wounds Lou, then leaves and hitchhikes to Las Vegas.

During the competition, Jackie hallucinates vomiting a fully grown Lou and contestants commenting on her weight. Love Lies Bleeding blurs the line between fantasy and reality, leaving plenty of room for interpretation.

“Love Lies Bleeding” (2024) is a romantic thriller that masterfully blurs the line between reality and delusion. The film, directed by Rose Glass and co-written with Weronika Tofilska, weaves a dark tale of obsession, violence, and family drama set in the Southwestern United States in the 1980s.

The film’s narrative is a rollercoaster ride, with numerous twists and turns that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The story revolves around Lou, a reclusive gym manager, and Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder. Their relationship, which starts as a seemingly pure romance, spirals out of control due to a series of violent events, further complicated by Lou’s gun-running father.

The film is heavily symbolic, with the director using grimy realism and a dreamlike neon glow to create a unique atmosphere. The characters are well-developed, with Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian delivering fine performances. The film’s surreal ending acts as an exclamation point for the movie’s steadily-building fantastical elements.

“Love Lies Bleeding” is not just a traditional modern noir. It explodes in a new direction, becoming more surreal and unpredictable, like a steroid trip gone very wrong. Some of the narrative explosions of the final act may be too much for some viewers, but they add to the film’s unpredictability and invigorating nature.

The film’s cinematography captures America as a place of discarded dreams, dive bars, dusty roads, and deserted spaces. In this atmosphere, the rawly sexual and subversive romance between Lou and Jackie stands out, but also appears hopeless.

In conclusion, “Love Lies Bleeding” is a thrilling ride from start to finish, with action, crime, and romance mingling and building toward an explosive and engaging finale. It’s a film that doesn’t shy away from putting a dark and twisted filter on reality.