Berlinale 2024: A24 Horror-Genre Films 'A Different Man' and 'Love Lies Bleeding'

At the 74th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2024), three independent American genre films produced by A24 share a common DNA: 'A Different Man' (in Competition), 'Love Lies Bleeding' (Berlinale Special), and 'I Saw the TV Glow' (Panorama). The first two are standout examples. 'A Different Man,' directed by Aaron Schimberg, stars Sebastian Stan as Edward, an actor with a facial disfigurement who undergoes a miraculous cure, only to find his new 'normal' face prevents him from playing himself in a play about his life. The film mixes melodrama, horror, and thriller, featuring Adam Pearson (who has neurofibromatosis) as Oswald, a confident man who takes everything from Edward. 'Love Lies Bleeding,' directed by Rose Glass, stars Kristen Stewart as a gym manager in rural America and Katy O'Brian as Jackie, a bodybuilder who uses steroids to win a competition in Las Vegas. The film critiques the American dream, machismo, and social emptiness through splatter horror. Both films challenge Hollywood beauty stereotypes and clichés.