It’s easy to dismiss the TWILIGHT saga as YA fluff (I know I did), but two of the franchise’s three stars have sunk their teeth into some very juicy roles since then. (Let’s agree not to discuss Taylor Lautner’s post-TWILIGHT career.) While Robert Pattinson has found success with the Safdie brothers before moving on to big budget films from the likes of Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves, Kristen Stewart has taken a different approach, choosing to mix indie and edgy projects in with her big budget films. Her choices don’t always hit home runs with audiences or critics but you have to admire her willingness to sometimes take the road less travelled. Stewart’s latest film, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, from writer-director Rose Glass (SAINT MAUD) is one example of that.

It’s 1989 and Louise “Lou” Langston (Stewart, SPENCER) is managing a rough-and-tumble gym on the outskirts of a sleepy New Mexico town when bodybuilder Jaqueline “Jackie” Cleaver (Katy O’Brian, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA) arrives to work out. Jackie is en route to a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas so Lou, who is immediately smitten by Jackie’s ripped body, invites her to crash at her apartment, only to soon learn that Jackie had gotten a job that morning at a shooting range owned by Lou’s estranged father, Lou Sr. (Ed Harris, TOP GUN: MAVERICK), after having had sex the night before with Lou’s brother-in-law, J.J. (Dave Franco, THE DISASTER ARTIST). Lou offers Jackie some steroids, which she willingly takes, but the side effects of their use cause aggression and psychosis in Jackie. A few days later, a family event gives Lou the long-awaited chance to get back at her father for whatever he may have done to cause their estrangement but Lou Sr. is no fool and he manoeuvres to pit the two women against each other. At the same time, Lou’s needy friend, Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA), sees her opportunity to have Lou all for herself.

Wow, this is one seriously erotic film… until it’s not. The scenes of Lou and Jackie getting their groove on are nothing short of lesbian lite porn. Fortunately, director Glass doesn’t overstay her lens on that aspect of their relationship before getting down to the real meat of the story, which is about the machinations of a family that is chest-deep in organized crime. Stewart delivers a powerful yet understated performance as someone who can’t quite shed the skin of her criminal upbringing. Steamy sex scenes aside, she and O’Brian have great chemistry together, which goes a long way in making their characters’ relationship, as well as what they do both to and for each other, seem very believable. Harris, with his fabulously long hair extension set against his bald pate, brings a quiet but ruthless quality to Lou Sr. He is someone you just know that you don’t want to cross. Though the story only gives brief glimpses into his capacity for evil, we can imagine how deep it goes. Baryshnikov puts in a solid effort too as the flaky but not stupid friend.

Some viewers may come away a bit disappointed with the story’s surrealistic climax but I appreciated that Glass wanted to do something unique and frame the events from Jackie’s psychotic perspective.

LOVE LIES BLEEDING is streaming now in the US on multiple digital platforms. If you liked THELMA & LOUISE, this is Thelma & Louise on steroids.

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