Bleeding Love

Emma Westernberg’s Bleeding Love stars real-life father and daughter duo Ewan McGregor and Clara Mathilde McGregor (who also contributed to the script) as an unnamed father and daughter, on a road trip through New Mexico in the aftermath of the daughter’s near-fatal overdose. The two have been estranged for some time, with the father having left the daughter when she was young due to his struggles with alcoholism, and the long journey ahead of them – both the physical trip and the emotional journey of reconciliation – is fraught and filled with roadblocks.

The awkward parent-child road trip is a premise that’s been done many times, and Bleeding Love doesn’t innovate in that space beyond the hook of casting the McGregors. That said, it executes its beats competently enough that it isn’t unsatisfying, and the leading duo have great chemistry together, elevating the story with their emotive acting.

The writing does its best to present an honest and complex depiction of addiction and family trauma, borrowing from Clara McGregor’s lived experiences, and while there isn’t quite enough space given for those themes to swing with their full weight, there’s enough to keep things engaging and interesting, and the earnestness of the storytelling goes a long way in smoothing over its rougher edges.

Along the way, the pair meet a cast of colourful characters, breaking up their trip with a series of set pieces. These moments are hit-or-miss; when they’re good, they’re great, but when they’re not, they can be a bit of a slog to get through. Still, these vignettes serve their function and liven up the narrative arc that the pair go on across the film’s trajectory and don’t wear out their welcomes.

These encounters also provide an avenue for the cinematography to shine, bringing out a spectrum of emotions in both the characters and the setting, with the road itself being brought to life by strong camera work and lighting. The feature uses a lot of closeup shots, intensifying the feelings of tension and claustrophobia and encouraging the audience to interrogate the subtly shifting social dynamics between father and daughter in a way that adds depth to their core character journey.

Overall, Bleeding Love is fine – it doesn’t feel like it has much ambition beyond that, and one gets the impression it exists largely to facilitate its gimmicky casting, but it also doesn’t do anything grievously wrong. Its straightforward-to-a-fault storytelling might frustrate some audiences, but it’s a largely inoffensive movie, bolstered by strong acting and slick visuals.

Umar Ali

Bleeding Love is released in select cinemas on 12^th April 2024.

Watch the trailer for Bleeding Love here: