The dads return to their spiritual home — the grimy, neon-lit world of A24 — for Love Lies Bleeding, a wild, sweaty, steroid-soaked crime-romance from director Rose Glass (Saint Maud).
Kristen Stewart plays Lou, a gym manager in a desert backwater who falls for Jackie (Katy O’Brien), a drifter and aspiring bodybuilder built like a Marvel origin story. Their chemistry is instant, their passion feral — and before long, they’re injecting more than just steroids together. But this love story’s laced with violence, paranoia, and one truly astonishing haircut courtesy of Ed Harris, who turns up as Lou’s gun-running, morally bankrupt father.
What starts as a moody lesbian love story morphs into a pulpy, blood-spattered nightmare involving abusive husbands, bent cops, and a ravine full of bodies. By the time the steroids kick in and tempers boil over, the film swerves between Thelma & Louise, The Hulk, and Natural Born Killers — complete with a finale that’s part emotional catharsis, part literal giant woman.
We get into:
💉 A24’s obsession with body horror and desire — and why this one might be their sweatiest yet.
🏋️♀️ Katy O’Brien’s powerhouse performance — raw, unhinged, and oddly tender.
🩸 That Ed Harris look — half-monk, half-madman, all-time bad haircut.
❤️ The film’s amoral heart — lovers, killers, victims… and no clean heroes.
🎬 The ending — is it metaphor, madness, or just an all-timer in WTF cinema moments?
It’s violent, sexy, absurd, and oddly moving — everything you want from an A24 fever dream. The dads argue about symbolism, marvel at Kristen Stewart’s brooding brilliance, and admit they’d probably still watch Love Lies Bleeding 2: The Pumpening.
🎧 Listen now for blood, lust, bodybuilding, and the film that turns love into a contact sport.
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
Until next time, we remain...
Bad Dads
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