Love Lies Bleeding , among exploring drugs and the eponymous love, is about the twisted act of deception. Spoilers ahead for the film. Audiences are predominantly wired to relate to protagonists, to empathize with their troubles, to revel in their highs and wince at the lows. It is why so many ‘anti-hero’ shows had such a hard time getting off the ground, with TV execs citing their sheer unlikability as a deterrent. Love Lies Bleeding presents us with Lou – as far as film protagonists go, one who is easier to root for. Sure, she might dabble in the occasional dose of performance enhancing steroids at the gym where she works, but by and large she has a moral compass that prevents her from associating with her father (Lou Sr, who operates a gun-range and a lucrative if illegal side hustle shipping weapons across the border) or leaving her sister Beth behind, who often ends up in hospital after being assaulted by her husband JJ but has refused to press charges so far. When Jackie, ...
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