Sartaj Singh
Rose Glass’s sophomore directorial, ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ follows the flaring romance of Lou, an introverted gym manager, and Jackie, who becomes involved with Lou’s criminal family. Jackie is an ambitious bodybuilder who is passing through the arid town on her way to a competition in Las Vegas. As she visits a local gym, Jackie shares a spark with its manager, Lou, and the two fall hard for each other. Their romance is complicated by Lou’s crime family, especially by her vicious brother-in-law.
The romantic thriller film features violent action and steamy romantic sequences across a range of gritty locales, from desert landscapes and retro structures to quaint streets and glittering nightscapes. Witnessing the tumultuous events unfold around these settings, some may investigate if the A24 film was actually filmed in the projected areas around Los Angeles.
Love Lies Bleeding Filming Locations
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ was filmed using sites across the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area in New Mexico. Principal photography began in June of 2022 and was wrapped up by August of the same year. The film crew seems to have enjoyed their time on the set together, with cinematographer Ben Fordesman writing, “Had a blast on Love Lies Bleeding with a such top crew, will miss the many challenges, laughs, late night burgers, and long days out in the desert together.” Allow us to take you through the shooting destinations of the movie.
Albuquerque Metropolitan Area, New Mexico
Albuquerque served as a fitting backdrop for the thrilling romance of ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ with its diverse geography and urban landscape providing the perfect setting for the film’s gritty and intense scenes. The city’s arid desert landscapes and rugged terrain lent an air of authenticity to the film set in the Mojave Desert, enhancing the tension and drama of the story. The bodybuilding competition seen in the movie was actually filmed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 1901 University Boulevard North East. The hotel’s expansive banquet hall can be spotted as Jackie participates in the competition she has been training for. A striking feature of the interior is the dozen chandelier-like lights integrated into the false ceiling.
The city’s unique blend of retro architecture and modern urban structures provided an eclectic backdrop for the characters’ tumultuous journey. Quaint streets lined with vintage storefronts and neon-lit alleyways can be spotted throughout the film’s sequences, creating a visually complex environment that mirrors the multifaceted dynamics of the characters’ relationships. The film crew ventured into Sandoval County in order to shoot a significant portion of the film in Rio Rancho.
The remote small-town backdrop created using Rio Rancho serves as a character in itself as the film’s narrative heats up around it. The desert landscapes surrounding Rio Rancho lent a sense of isolation and desolation to the film, with its vast expanses of arid land and rugged mountains featuring prominently in the thriller’s cinematic landscape shots. The Del Norte Gun Club stands in for the shooting range Jackie is taken to as a part of her induction into the crime family. Situated on 208 Torcido Road North West, the club features flattened-out shooting ranges surrounded by rolling desert terrain. The establishment is known for sporting facilities for various distances and weapon types, including archery.
When asked about why the filmmaker chose the particular setting for ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ Rose Glass replied, “It just seemed to be the place that made the most sense for the story since we started getting all the guns and muscles kind of involved.” She further said, “Also that period and place in America, particularly cinematically, it developed along with the mythological kind of feel of all the Americana stuff, so the scale of it felt like the appropriate backdrop to the story.”
Albuquerque’s vibrant nightlife and bustling streets also played a pivotal role in shaping the film’s atmosphere. Its glittering nightscapes and bustling urban sprawl provided the backdrop for romantic sequences and intense action scenes alike. The city’s rugged beauty and urban charm have drawn a number of films and shows to the city, creating compelling cinematic experiences. Some of these include ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘Obliterated,’ ‘No Country for Old Men,’ and ‘Hell or High Water.’
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