Love Lies Bleeding ending explained: Did Jackie actually turn into a giant?

A24's latest venture, Love Lies Bleeding, has turned heads with its delirious ending, in which Jackie, played by Katy M. O'Brian grows into a giant to protect Lou from her father. However, the film has an element of surrealism, so it's possible that this was just a hallucination.

Love Lies Bleeding is a romantic thriller, directed by Rose Glass, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Weronika Tofilska. The film is set in the summer of 1989, where reclusive gym manager, Lou, played by Kristen Stewert, meets an aspiring bodybuilder Jaqueline Cleaver, aka Jackie. Their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.

Rose Glass, who rose to fame with her groundbreaking horror film, Saint Maude, crafts a peculiar piece of art in Love Lies Bleeding, which relies on unconventional storytelling tools. Not everything that is shown on screen is to be believed. Jackie's character often hallucinates under the influence of performance-enhancement drugs, adding to the dosage of the film's surrealism.

Love Lies Bleeding premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024, and was released theatrically in the United States by A24 on March 8, 2024. The film received mostly positive responses from critics and audiences.

Disclaimer: Major spoilers ahead.

Jackie grows into a giant in Love Lies Bleeding

Director Rose Glass has taken heavy inspiration from the likes of David Lynch, Nicolas Winding Refn, and the Coen brothers for the film, which has elements of surrealism throughout.

The catalyst for these moments is Jackie's abuse of performance drugs, which makes her hallucinate impossible things. In one of the film's earlier scenes, when she is taking part in a competition, she goes into a steroid-induced psychosis. In her psychosis, she imagines vomiting a fully grown Lou, when in reality, she had just vomited on the floor.

Love Lies Bleeding has a dark and gritty climax that brings the family drama to its violent conclusion. Lou is shot in the leg by her father and is about to be killed. Jackie arrives on the scene, having grown to a gigantic size, and pins down Lou Sr., while his daughter shoves a gun into his mouth.

Though this scene is ambiguous, given the earlier scene of Jackie's psychosis, it's possible that she hallucinated becoming a giant due to the side effects of her drugs. It can also be the symbolic representation of Jackie's increased self-belief and how Lou sees her.

Lou Sr. reveals a big secret

The biggest influence in Lou's life is her father, but not in a good way. He made her a part of his criminal activities, making her an accomplice in his murderous business. Even after she has estranged him, he still holds her under his thumb. She works at the gym that he owns. He controls the town that she resides in.

Throughout Love Lies Bleeding, Lou is tormented by her father and wants to escape his sinister influence. She finds a shining light in the form of Jackie, but when Lou Sr. threatens to pin the murders of JJ and Daisy on Jackie, she threatens to expose his operation.

In their final confrontation, Lou accuses her father of killing his mother. Lou Sr. denies this accusation and reveals that her mother is still alive and left them 12 years ago because of their criminal business. However, given that he didn't hesitate once before sending someone to kill his daughter, it's entirely possible that he lied about not murdering his wife.

Daisy survived the gunshot

After exposing her father's crimes to the police, Lou disappears with Jackie into the sunset with the dead body of Daisy at the back of her truck. Daisy had previously coerced Lou into a relationship with her by blackmailing her about JJ's murder.

She was later shot in the back of her face by Jackie. However, in the last scene of the film, we hear Daisy's body moving from the truck's mirror. While Jackie is in deep sleep, Lou discreetly pulls over, casually walks up to Daisy, and strangles her to death.

Final thoughts on Love Lies Bleeding

Lou's killing of Daisy is a purposeful last scene for Love Lies Bleeding, as it shows that Lou is not as different from her father as she believes to be. She had the potential to be ruthless and could go to any lengths to protect herself and her loved ones. However, it should also be noted that the viewers never get to see how badly Daisy was hurt before Lou strangled her. It might have been an act of mercy killing.

Love Lies Bleeding is a peculiar romantic drama, filled with bold themes, surreal imagery, and imaginative storytelling. The film boasts incredible lead performances and features a talented supporting cast in the form of Dave Franco, Ed Harris, Anna Baryshnikov, and Jena Malone.

Love Lies Bleeding is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.

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