As he’s proven with every passion project he’s undertaken over the years, when John Stagliano pours himself into something, he goes big. And Hard in Love ranks as one of the most towering achievements of his illustrious career. It almost certainly is the most emotionally ravaging.

Of course, the industry legend is keen to solicit the creative collaboration of his young stars on banner features such as this, doing so here by giving the screenwriting reins to leading ladies Misha Cross and Samantha Bentley.

And what darkly ferocious story weavers these two Euro-luminaries turn out to be. As a pair of gals who meet at a fetish club and fall into punch-drunk love after a manic bang in the club’s basement, Cross and Bentley instantly ensnare the audience, handily securing his or her investment in the romance between this sort of lesbian Romeo and Juliet … and without exchanging nearly a line of dialogue. But alas, like with those star-crossed lovers, naught but tragedy lies ahead.

Bentley works as a model for a hardcore website called (what else?) HardinLove.com, run by sinister dominatrix Angel Long, who turns up after few appearances in a good many years sporting neon pink hair. Perhaps out of sheer sadism, Long forbids Bentley from seeing, speaking to or having anything to do with Cross, who manifests her pain over Bentley’s sudden silence by first calling former flame Nikita Bellucci over for a savage fuck—hands down the most scalding scene of the entire production—and then taking a video of herself scrogging Tiffany Doll and texting it to Bentley.

Eventually the heartbroken headliners reunite for an impassioned lovemaking session, but things take a nasty turn indeed when they meet up with Long in the gut-socking finale.

Released in two parts spanning four discs, eight hours and nine titanic scenes, Hard in Love is epic in every sense. And it stands apart as a benchmark on the résumés of Stagliano, Bentley and Cross, as well as in the flourishing annals of the all-girl feature. One sure to be revered for many years to come.