Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Love Lies Bleeding 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 4, 2025

Several of the talking heads on the two intertwined supplements offered on this disc mention how "genre busting" and "indescribable" Love Lies Bleeding is, and while that's probably undeniable on one hand, on another hand the film might be at least passingly reminiscent of any number of "lovers on a killing spree" efforts like Wild at Heart or Natural Born Killers. In this particular case, it's a lesbian couple and there are perhaps comically (within the jaded confines of the above linked films) relatively few murders, but there's at least a somewhat similar chaotic emotional tone, and Love Lies Bleeding may tip its toe ever so briefly in some presentational conceits that may link it even more strongly to Natural Born Killers, or at least Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (and while, yes, that's a joke, it may not be completely inapt, as will be explained below).

Another possible tether to Natural Born Killers in particular comes courtesy of a fractious relationship between focal character Lou (Kristen Stewart) and her abusive father, Lou Sr. (Ed Harris, sporting giggle worthy hair extensions). Lou Sr. has been involved in criminal activity for decades, often recruiting his younger daughter to help (to clarify the two characters bearing the same name, I'll refer to the father as Senior going forward). Lou works at a gym, where she "meets cute" with bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O'Brian), and Lou introduces Jackie to what was in the film's late eighties setting a nascent development for women muscle chasers, namely the use of steroids. Soon enough Lou and Jackie are a couple, as Jackie continues her training regimen for an upcoming contest in Las Vegas, and Lou desperately tries to figure out a way to escape her stifling small town life.

Suffice it to say another abusive male, JJ (Dave Franco), the husband of Lou's older sister Beth (Jena Malone), is the one who finally brings things to a disastrous head, leading to the first body to be dealt with courtesy of a probably steroid influenced fit of violence from Jackie. Lou is suddenly forced to go into overdrive to protect her new flame, and a plot to frame Senior for the murder ensues, which then leads to more cascading developments, which is when the presentational aspects of the film start to definitely become gonzo-fied (I'm insisting that's a word).

Jackie has a somewhat (okay, more than somewhat) troubling hallucination while competing, which then leads to another steroid fueled raging attack. Meanwhile, things have devolved for Lou, whose involvement in the earlier death has made her a potential blackmail victim, but perhaps surprisingly Senior seems to offer a way out.

That of course turns out to be another case of subterfuge, and a showdown between Lou and Senior soon follows, which is when co-writer and director Rose Glass goes "full gonzo", offering a vision of Jackie growing to mutant size in order to take out Senior. A brief interlude is then offered which seems to suggest Jackie and Lou have become outsized gods traipsing through some Alternate Heaven. Things come crashing down to earth rather spectacularly, and intentionally cheekily, with a coda that suggests the pair may still have a few loose ends in their killing spree to attend to. Love Lies Bleeding will probably unavoidably not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has its own manic energy, and manages to be quite darkly humorous despite the tawdry setting and hugely dysfunctional characters.

Love Lies Bleeding 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: While this is a standalone 4K release without a 1080 disc, I am offering screenshots from A24's standalone 1080 release as I think it actually provides a better representation of the look of the palette in particular, rather than offering screenshots from the 4K disc which are by necessity downscaled to 1080 and in SDR. Because this release does not include a 1080 disc, the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.

Love Lies Bleeding is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of A24 with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists the Arri Alexa Mini as the camera of choice, but as of the writing of this review fails to specify the resolution of the DI. This a really appealing looking presentation that takes many of the positives of A24's excellent 1080 version and at least subtly improves them. Detail levels are really great looking throughout, with the possible exception of a couple of very low light scenes, where it's even arguable they're marginally improved over the 1080 version courtesy of HDR / Dolby Vision. As picayune as some examples might be, "little" things like the ridged roof on JJ and Beth's house or some of the heavier fabrics Lou in particular wears offer really excellent fine detail levels. But it's probably the palette that has the most noticeable differences from the 1080 version, again courtesy of HDR / Dolby Vision. The emphasis on reds throughout the production mastheads and then on to the credits offers an example from the virtual get go of new vibrancy in primaries, but throughout the presentation, there are some striking highlights in everything from some of the brightly lit wide outdoor vistas to some of the more buttery yellow interior sequences. Those aforementioned reds make a really striking later appearance on a couple of occasions with Senior bathed in an intense red hue. The increased resolution of this format probably makes the digital grain more apparent, and while the aim was obviously to evoke the eighties, it almost has the look of an earlier era's 16mm "indie" films at times in this version.

Love Lies Bleeding 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Love Lies Bleeding offers a pretty boisterous Dolby Atmos track that has a good deal of punch, bodybuilding and/or boxing gym pun notwithstanding. The soundtrack has an unusually wide array of source cues, all of which provide considerable if subliminal energy and many featuring a nicely pronounced low end and clear engagement of the side and rear channels. Some of the outdoor scenes, notably a great scene featuring Lou and Katie disposing of a car (and body), probably have the most noticeable use of the Atmos speakers. Both gunshots and even smackdowns provide some bursts of LFE. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Love Lies Bleeding 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Filmmaker Commentary with Rose Glass and co-writer Weronika Tofilska


• Sex, Steroids and Codependency (HD; 13:31) is the first of two featurettes which probably didn't officially need to be presented separately. This is more of a generalist overview and includes some good interviews with the principal cast and crew.


• In the Land of Guns and Muscles (HD; 14:03) offers more snippets from what look like the same interviews above, with more of a focus on the bodybuilding element in particular.

Additionally this is another handsomely packaged A24 exclusive edition that offers a DigiPack with art cards. A slipbox encloses the DigiPack.

Love Lies Bleeding 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I frankly didn't expect to like Love Lies Bleeding as much I ended up appreciating it. Yes, it's undeniably quirky, and maybe problematically so for some potential viewers, but it has some very dark humor and has some bizarrely appealing performances from an, um, eclectic cast (and, spoiler alert, you get to see Ed Harris doing some Survivor-esque bug eating, for whatever that's worth). Technical merits are solid, and Love Lies Bleeding comes Recommended.