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Plot Summary: Gym manager Lou falls for Jackie, a bodybuilder who is passing through town en route to a competition in Las Vegas.

Director: Rose Glass

Writers: Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska

Runtime: 1 hour 44 mins

• Anna Baryshnikov as Daisy
• Kristen Stewart as Lou
• Dave Franco as JJ
• Katy O'Brian as Jackie
• Jena Malone as Beth
• Eldon Jones as Billy
• Ed Harris as Lou Sr.

Review by: Samuel

What I Liked

Kristen Stewart is a good actress. Scratch that, she’s a fantastic actress and I think she should get more recognition than she does (due to the inexplicable shame she gets for Twilight). I’ve seen her portray so many types of people including a posh yet depressed princess, a genius engineer, and even a secret agent to name a few. She has range, and in this she plays her role as the lower class bowling alley employee, Lou Lou, to perfection. Now, calling her a “bowling alley employee” just scratches the surface of what she is- as expected from an A24 film. From the moment we see her we can tell that there is some serious trauma and repressed anger lurking beneath the surface that we in the audience are anxious to learn about.

Joining Stewart is Katy O’Brian who portrays her love interest, Jackie. O’Brian’s acting is obviously up to par, but I HAVE to give her credit in another regard. I’ve seen O’Brian in season 3 of the Mandalorian so I have some idea of what she looked like before this film. The transformation she underwent to become the bodybuilder that Jackie is in this film…just wow.

Jackie and Lou Lou’s relationship with each other is the driving force behind the film. It would not work if we didn’t buy into the fact that these two were in love and willing to die for each other. Once their relationship becomes intwined with Lou’s Lou’s criminal father, Lou Sr. (played by Ed Harris), the film enters a breakneck pace that is thrilling, enthralling, and totally nuts- I loved it!

Now outside of Stewart and O’Brian the movie is classic A24 meaning a few things. 1) It’s not going to be for everyone, but those of us who are used to the A24 style. will enjoy the storytelling 2) you will not know where this movie is going to go so you are in for a thriller until the very end and 3) the cinematography is BEST IN CLASS.  The story itself takes a little while to develop, but once it does you will be glued to your seat as you watch all of the trauma, drama, and violence (so much GRAPHIC violence) unfold. This film may come across as indie, but I honestly haven’t felt this level of captivation from a traditional “Hollywood blockbuster”  in years.

What I didn’t Like

First and foremost, this film was grounded and felt real until very last moments of the film which I think ruined it’s perfection. Not that it ruined the film overall, but the ending just felt unnecessarily surreal so the movie loses a few points from me- and I think a lot of other moviegoers might be even harsher.

Also, as mentioned above the movie does take a little while to get going. The first half hour or so is slow as Lou Lou and Jackie meet and have lots of sex but it almost felt as if the sex scenes were gratuitous and just taking up time. Once the thing happens (and you WILL KNOW that thing) then the movie steps way up.

But overall another enjoyable outing from A24.