2022 Directed by Rebekah McKendry
After a breakup, Wes ends up at a remote rest stop. He finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure speaking from an adjacent stall. Soon Wes realizes he is involved in a situation more terrible than he could imagine.
Barbara Crampton Ryan Kwanten Kevin Kale Matthew Prater James Norrie Mark Cartier Mark Myers Rick Moore Nina Kolokouri Gaba Gavi
عظيم, 글로리어스, Dzień chwały, Великолепный, Vinh Quang, 荣耀
Horror, the undead and monster classics Monsters, aliens, sci-fi and the apocalypse Intense violence and sexual transgression Gory, gruesome, and slasher horror Gothic and eerie haunting horror Terrifying, haunted, and supernatural horror Zombie carnage and survival horror Bloody vampire horror Show All…
Canada
Fantasia International Film Festival
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An endlessly chatty cthulhoid monstrosity bestows candle store zen koans on a pantsless dingdong trapped in a bisexually lit rest stop commode being attacked by an unkillable mass of hentai space tentacles.
Interesting concept, quirky, and original little film. I enjoy these kinds of films because it takes guts to set a mystery/horror in a bathroom with just two main characters. And the courage to try it is really what drew me to the film (as well as the intriguing poster). However, the greater the challenge, the greater the need for skill and finesse to pull it off. And, sadly, this failed on almost every level of basic filmmaking for me. It was entertaining for a while, and it had its moments, until it wasn't. It simply appears that the director was inept and did not steer the film in a firm enough direction. It just felt sloppy, overstuffed, and lacking of inspiration.
A wonderful piece of cosmic horror/comedy that never fails to amaze me. It's deliciously bleak. There's a fun, tense vibe throughout this thing, which is impressive, given its confined mostly to a single location. The mixing of comedic and serious elements works so wonderfully, further elevated by the ridiculously entertaining characters and their interactions. It really makes excellent use of its single location, limited budget and cast. The film is not particularly scary, but there's some great splattery fun and just like every good cosmic horror it gives you that sense of uneasiness from an imminent cosmic threat. The characters could have been explored more, but they're seriously so fun to watch!!
“Are you thinking about me?”
-Brenda-
“Yes. I can’t stop.”
-Wes-
Glorious is a darkly comedic, cosmic horror film that keeps you “locked in” from the moment you enter its stall. From its lovecraftian roots and blistering carnage; to its witty, and often times laugh-out-loud quips, this is one film I won’t be able to stop thinking about for a while to come.
Glorious is immensely creative. We are given a solitary setting (literally a bathroom ) for the entire run time, yet never once did it feel burdensome or stale. Rebekah McKendry pulled this off through the use of both A) Exaggerated use of vibrant multi-color lighting and grotesque showers of blood and…uh...limbs…B) The sharp dialogue and cohesive story…
What a weird concept for a movie but it mostly works. Ryan Kwanten was a little over the top but kept me engaged with the character. J.K. Simmons is always great even when you don’t see him. I gotta say I didn’t see the ending coming and it was right there in plain sight the whole time and everything made sense, kudos to the writers. It’s brisk pace never left me bored and even though the budget was small and the locations few it didn’t seem cheaply made. The ending left me thinking a lot and there are multiple ways to view the outcome. A very solid outing for director Rebekah McKendry.
“Please come back to the stall. We have to talk.”
Remember when “Lovecraftian” meant more than just tentacles and purple gel lighting? Lost me when it strayed from Cthulhu mythos into Greek, with references to Cronus and his sons (Elder Gods do not have family), when the cosmic, gloryhole monster tried to save the world, and when the “elevated” part of the horror reared its ugly head (mean dad). But there is a funny joke about the hard-to-pronounce Lovecraft gods, their names only able to be properly enunciated by firmly gripping your tongue between thumb and index.
Heartbroken after the breakup of a long relationship, Wes takes a road trip to clear his mind. It's on this trip that he stops at a secluded rest area in the middle of nowhere. He camps outside overnight and gets blackout drunk. In the morning he wakes up and uses the rest stop's bathroom and finds himself trapped with a disembodied voice from the glory hole of another stall that forbids him to look inside. A voice that claims it's a god in a weakened state named Ghathanothoa. A god that needs Wes to make a sacrifice to help him save the universe from destruction.
Once again some cover art utilizing pink neon for a horror film caught my eye…
