Love Lies Bleeding director explains surreal ending twist

kristen stewart, love lies bleeding
Love Lies Bleeding director explains ending twistA24

Love Lies Bleeding spoilers follow.

Love Lies Bleeding director Rose Glass explained her decision to include a surreal, "superhero" like sequence near the film's ending.

Speaking in an interview with IndieWire about the film, Glass revealed how she came up with the idea to have bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O'Brian) miraculously transform into a giant during a climactic fight with Lou's (Kristen Stewart) violent father (Ed Harris).

"When we were writing it, we tried versions where it all stays very grounded and real, and it just never quite felt like a satisfying resolution given the tonal shifts of the film," Glass explained, adding that it was a "big step into the unknown" for her as a director.

katy o'brian, kristen stewart, love lies bleeding
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Related: Love Lies Bleeding has a Baby Reindeer connection

The Saint Maud director continued: "It was the first time I did anything where you've got a plate of actors reacting to tennis balls on sticks, which is hilarious.

"The footage of Ed and Kristen reacting and then shooting Katy against grey screen and comping that together … it was definitely quite nerve-wracking."

Following the showdown, Lou and Jackie appear to get their happy-ever-after as they drive off into the sunset together, but not before Lou dispatches her ex-lover-turned-stalker Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov) in the moments before the end credits roll.

Speaking about the sequence, Glass added that she understands that the ending will "divide people" but for her it was "the truest way to culminate that part of the film".

love lies bleeding
A24

Related: Kristen Stewart's new movie lands strong Rotten Tomatoes rating

Love Lies Bleeding follows the story of gym manager Lou who falls in love with ambitious bodybuilder Jackie, leading the pair on a journey of violence.

The film was released in UK cinemas today, nearly two months after its March premiere in the US.

The film is also available to watch at home for American audiences, with viewers able to buy or rent it on digital retailers.

kristen stewart, love lies bleeding
A24

Love Lies Bleeding is out now in UK cinemas. It is available to rent or buy digitally in the US from Prime Video, iTunes and more.

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