Trailer: Love Lies Bleeding delivers bodybuilding and revenge

Last Updated on December 20, 2023

It has been far too long since Rose Glass released her debut, Saint Maud, one of many that helped confirm that A24 was the premiere studio for horror. But now we finally have a trailer for her sophomore feature, Love Lies Bleeding, which sees Glass stepping outside of the genre and could very well prove she’s more than what we expected.

In the trailer for Love Lies Bleeding, we see Kristen Stewart’s Lou meeting Katy O’Brian’s Jackie before heading off into a world of shady dealings, dead bodies and revenge, which the trailer notes “gets ripped.” We also get a look at Ed Harris in what is surely his creepiest look to date, like Rocky Horror’s Riff Raff clawed his way out of the desert. The trailer notably features Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, a classic of LGBTQ music.

Love Lies Bleeding’s official plot, as per A24: “From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.” In addition to Stewart, O’Brian and Harris, the cast also includes Dave Franco, Jena Malone and Anna Baryshnikov.

Love Lies Bleeding will premiere at next year’s Sundance Film Festival as part of their Midnight programming, which has been host to a wealth of movies that could be considered edgy, provocative and innovative. Following its premiere, Love Lies Bleeding will hit theaters on March 8th.

Lead Katy O’Brian went through six auditions for Love Lies Bleeding, including an initial one, another for co-star chemistry, yet another with an acting coach, and more. She actually started off her attempt at landing the role by pitching herself through a PowerPoint that showed off her history as a bodybuilder, telling her team that if she didn’t get even one audition she would “riot”. Even after being cast, O’Brian noted that she was “terrified” to do the movie, saying the story is “emotionally [and] thematically challenging.” Consider us even more intrigued.

What did you think of the trailer for Love Lies Bleeding? Are you looking forward to the movie? Let us know in the comments section below.