A24 Delivers Murder, Mayhem, And Muscle Mommies In Love Lies Bleeding Trailer
I was about seven years old the first time I saw her — a leather-clad woman with half of a shaved head and mountains of muscle over her 5'6" frame. My eyes would be engrossed the second she appeared on screen, and despite living in an affirming household, I felt like there was something weird or wrong about my fixation. Her name was Luna Vachon (real name Gertrude Vachon), a professional wrestler who perfectly encapsulated the glamour and pageantry of the WWF (now WWE), without ever sacrificing God-like strength and muscle tone. American culture has a weird relationship with visibly strong women, but the tides have been changing over the last five years. No longer relegated solely to punchlines or objects of fetishization, beefy women are now praised with the same adoration as their male counterparts.
This is to say that Rose Glass's sophomore feature "Love Lies Bleeding" couldn't be arriving at a better time. The film centers on Lou (Kristen Stewart), the manager of a gym who falls head-over-heels for Jackie (Katy O'Brian), a bodybuilder heading for Las Vegas to compete with the best of the best. The closer they get, however, the more dangerous their lives become, as Lou comes from a crime family that seems to be none too pleased with her new paramour. /Film's own Bill Bria was able to catch "Love Lies Bleeding" at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, giving the film a 9/10 rating and writing in his review that the movie feels at home with horror-noirs like "Les Diaboliques," "Lost Highway," and "Drive," before it transforms into "a thrillingly grimy, seedy, Americana-and-fluid-soaked body-horror noir that's unabashedly queer and winningly deranged."
Kristen and Katy against the world
Considering the tabloid nightmare that followed Kristen Stewart during the "Twilight" years regarding her relationships, any time she gets to be unapologetically queer on screen is going to be something worth celebrating. And sure, she was already in Clea DuVall's queer Christmas rom-com "Happiest Season," but "Love Lies Bleeding" is g-g-g-g-g-g-GAYYYYY. This is a lovers-on-the-run film in the highest order, with dusty trails, sweaty flesh, blood-soaked mayhem, and Ed Harris with a skullet. Honestly, what more could anyone want? In case that wasn't enough, the film also features Dave Franco, Jena Malone, and Anna Baryshnikov, a guarantee of some mind-meltingly good performances.
I was already unhealthily jealous of everyone who got the chance to see the film, but with A24's release of the newest trailer, I'm metaphorically frothing at the mouth for what is shaping out to be my most anticipated release of 2024. This new footage features something not yet seen, the fact that Katy O'Brian's Jackie looks like she has the ability to, forgive the expression, Hulk out. Bulging muscles that destroy garments of clothing and biceps that seem to inflate beyond comprehension are shown in blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, which only has me more excited. Is this a lesbian movie about Kristen Stewart going on the run with a She-Hulk? Rose Glass, you're wild as hell for this one, but I have a sneaking suspicion we're all going to be thanking you for the experience.
"Love Lies Bleeding" hits theaters on March 8, 2024.