Love Lies Bleeding Is A Kristen Stewart Genre Comeback 22 Years In The Making

Directed by Rose Glass (Saint Maud), 2024’s Love Lies Bleeding marks a definitive Kristen Stewart genre comeback that’s been 22 years in the making. A few months after premiering at Sundance Film Festival, the director’s sophomore feature will drop in a limited number of theaters on March 8, which will be followed by a wide release on March 15. Already well-reviewed by critics, Love Lies Bleeding is significant in its own right, but the blood-pumping, sure-to-be-classic thriller also stands out in star Kristen Stewart’s wide-ranging body of work.

While Stewart has delved into the thriller genre before, Love Lies Bleeding is a much-anticipated return to form. The actor’s more recent mainstream thrillers, including the biographical crime thriller Lizzie and the sci-fi horror thriller Underwater, didn’t quite land with audiences. Meanwhile, Stewart’s lauded Personal Shopper, which becomes a supernatural psychological thriller, wasn’t exactly primed for mainstream success. A queer romantic thriller, the A24 film might seem niche, but Love Lies Bleeding proves Kristen Stewart is better than ever by channeling the star’s beloved 2002 thriller with its truly heart-pounding premise.

Love Lies Bleeding Is Kristen Stewart’s Best Thriller Since Panic Room

In Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen Stewart plays Lou, a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for bodybuilder Jackie (The Mandalorian‘s Katy O’Brian). However, it’s not just her whirlwind romance with Lou that catches Jackie by surprise. As she falls further for Lou, Jackie is pulled deeper into the gym manager’s criminal family — a dangerous web that both characters want to escape. While Ed Harris (A History of Violence) plays the dastardly Lou Sr., Love Lies Bleeding‘s cast is rounded out by Jena Malone (Nocturnal Animals), Anna Baryshnikov (Dickinson), and Dave Franco (The Rental).

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Kristen Stewart’s 2024 Thriller Proves How Massive The Year Will Be For A24

The American film company A24 has a prestigious film slate on deck for 2024, headlined by Kristen Stewart’s latest thriller Love Lies Bleeding.

There’s no denying that Love Lies Bleeding recalls one of Kristen Stewart’s best movies: 2002’s Panic Room. David Fincher’s Fight Club follow-up, Panic Room stars Jodie Foster and Stewart as mother-daughter duo Meg and Sarah Altman. After moving into a brownstone complete with a state-of-the-art panic room and security system, the Altman’s find their new home invaded by criminals (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam). When it becomes apparent that Sarah, a diabetic, needs her glucagon syringes, Meg leaves the safety of the panic room, which sets into motion a heart-pumping, suspenseful ride.

Panic Room & Love Lies Bleeding Both Succeed For The Same Reason

The César Award-winning Stewart has come into her own recently. Stewart’s Love Lies Bleeding role might be her queerest yet, though it certainly recalls Panic Room‘s tomboyish Sarah. Moreover, both Panic Room and Love Lies Bleeding find success by pairing Stewart with an equally great co-lead. In other thrillers, like Stewart’s $41M sci-fi horror flop, her character winds up isolated, but it’s clear that she thrives when acting opposite dynamic forces like Foster and O’Brian. That is, Love Lies Bleeding allows Stewart to tap into a lot of what made her such a star in Panic Room.