Love Lies Bleeding (A24/Film4, 2024)

1 month ago

Whatever you think of Kristen Stewart's star turn at smashing the heteronormative patriarchy or whatever,
this film (like most A24 films, crazy and offbeat) did its job.

Katy O'Brian's body is a gorgeous muscular masterpiece (including her chest).
There was lots of fucking and lots of violence.
Extended scene of glistening female bodybuilders.
Lead actress tied up and gagged.

Two Hamburger Ladies (literally: the classic Throbbing Gristle song was in the soundtrack not just once, but twice). Here's one of them.

: hamburger lady.jpg (29.17 KiB) Viewed 149 times

And yes, the Hulkout. This is just straight-up a She-Hulk transformation.

: the hulkout.jpg (35.64 KiB) Viewed 149 times

This movie pretty much did exactly what Stewart promised it would: show aspects of female sexuality which almost eliminated the male gaze
(not entirely, but almost: it obviously made room for muscle fetish). So, it accomplished its mission in making women look distortedly ugly in every way possible: bad haircuts, unusually grotesque muscle, grinning trailer trash lesbian, battered wife's face beaten to a pulp, etc.

I was entertained, if also sometimes revulsed.
But really the biggest complaint I have was that everything made sense, scientifically, until right near the end,
where the director just couldn't resist going "magical superhero"

Spoiler

1) O'Brian's character not just Hulking out but turning into a 40-foot giant.
2) The two female leads running through the clouds like some kind of dream sequence.

The problem with the ending is that

Spoiler

two women got away with killing several people.

So, don't look for any morals here. It's an amoral film which reeks of revenge politics.

Still, I recommend you give this a look if it's free.