Glorious Review (2022) - A twisted tale of cosmic horror, existential musings, and surreal humor!
Spooky season is in full swing, and we've got another gem that deserves more attention: 2022’s "Glorious!" This film dives headfirst into the realm of horror and surreal humor, enveloping you in an absurd yet intriguing narrative that lingers in the mind long after viewing. Strap in, because this one’s a wild ride, filled with existential questions, bizarre encounters, and a dash of the macabre that we potatoes just can’t get enough of!
We don’t get many movies that touch on Lovecraftian, Eldritch, or Cosmic Horror, and we’re pleased to say that this one was a refreshing and brilliant take!
From the moment the film starts, it’s clear that Glorious is not your typical horror flick. This isn’t just a scream-and-run kind of movie; it’s a philosophical exploration wrapped in a cloak of dark comedy! The majority of the story is set within the confines of a rest stop bathroom and challenges the audience’s perceptions of reality while teasing our sense of curiosity. As you navigate the twisted conversations that emerge from a mysterious voice, you may find yourself questioning not just the nature of the entity behind the hole, but also your understanding of sanity itself.
Before we get started, we want to give some trigger warnings. Glorious touches on themes of mental distress, existential dread, self-sacrifice, and contains blood, gore, and creature horror. There are intense moments that could resonate deeply with anyone grappling with their own internal struggles, so please keep that in mind before diving into this one.
We will try to avoid spoilers, but please be aware that there will likely be some in this review, so please read cautiously.
Let’s begin!
The film kicks off with a man standing in a dark, ethereal place. The man is in his underwear, socks, and a button up shirt that’s covered in blood. He hears a woman’s voice as he turns toward the camera. We get the idea that he knows this woman, as she says, “you told me I was different.” With a sudden flash, we zoom into the man’s eye as a strobing effect shifts the focus between a human eye and creature’s eye.
All of a sudden, we see that the man is driving and that he fell asleep at the wheel. He rights his vehicle before fully swerving into oncoming traffic. He’s obviously very tired and we spend some time with him in the vehicle as he continues to drift off, trying to stay awake. He finally finds an exit for a rest stop where he pulls over, exits his car and stretches.
He walks past a woman sitting on a picnic table and over to an incredibly old looking vending machine. He puts a coin in, trying to get the very last candy bar in the machine, but it doesn’t vend. He gets upset and slams against the vending machine in anger. From the picnic table, the lady sitting there says “You know, some things may seem broken, but it usually just means you stopped trying. Yes sir.”
She walks over and helps him with the vending machine, successfully getting the candy bar out for him. He thanks her tentatively before watching her walk over to an unusual purple flower that seems to be oozing slime. She smiles down at the flower before offering the man some advice about how he can sleep more comfortably in his car. The woman then drives away.
As the man gets back into his car to eat his candy bar, we zoom on in an enigmatic red box resting in the passenger seat. We also notice that the back seat is full of brightly colored clothes, and he also has a teddy bear on the dashboard. He seems packed and ready for a long trip. He takes the teddy bear off his dash, squeezes the bear’s paw and it says, “I love you very much.” He loses it, screaming “Why?!” loudly as he slams the teddy bear into the car’s horn. It seems he’s really torn up about whatever that bear represents.
Soon after, he begins calling and leaving messages for “Brenda,” who is unavailable according to her voicemail greeting. We see him go through lots of difficult emotions as he calls her over and over, leaving her varying voicemails ranging from sad and somber to enraged. Eventually, his phone dies and he throws it against the ground in frustration, breaking it.
Wanting to drown his sorrows, he blasts some music from his car as he grabs a bottle of brown liquor from the car. The next sequence, we see him burning all the clothes and the contents of his enigmatic red box in a fire pit at the rest stop. He’s obviously incredibly drunk as he whoops and hollers while burning it all! However, he does save a single picture or a pretty young woman, presumably Brenda, the woman he’s been calling, and he stuffs the photo into his breast pocket.
He finishes the entire bottle of liquor and soon passes out on the ground. He wakes up the next morning without his pants on, clearly very hungover as well. He apparently burned his pants in the night while he was drunk! He begins to retch and runs into the rest stop bathroom to puke. Once he’s done, a voice comes from the adjacent stall: “Everything alright over there, friend?”
The man looks up and sees a grotesque image painted on the side of the bathroom stall of what seems like a naked woman with 3 breasts and eyes for nipples and a head that looks like it’s made out of giant blue worms! At the center of the image’s face is a gloryhole. – What a wild thing to see, first of all! Hilarious! We potatoes were very taken aback by the imagery and were wondering “who the hell would put their…anything in that hole?!” Anyway, we digress!
The voice from the other stall sparks up some conversation with the man and they have some odd, but funny interaction. The man comments on how odd it is to have a conversation in the bathroom and that he’s not much of a “bathroom talker.”
The dialogue in this movie is phenomenal! The “person” in the stall, voiced by J. K. Simmons, gives off an unfamiliar but strangely educated air. Eventually, they get to the point where they introduce themselves. The man introduces himself as Wes (Ryan Kwanten). The “person” in the stall says that there are some very specific conditions that Wes needs to meet for him to properly pronounce his name.
He tells Wes to stick out his tongue and hold the tip between his thumb and forefinger. Wes does so and the voice says: “Try to say, ‘Got Another One’”. It ends up coming out as “Ghatanothoa.” We potatoes absolutely loved this little addition to the film! Many Lovecraftian horrors have names that are very outlandish and out there, as if they weren’t meant for a human to be able to speak. This scene does such a great job of making this clearly one of those creatures. One who’s name is not meant to be uttered by mortals!
For the sake of simplicity Wes refers to Ghatanothoa as “Ghat.” Wes is a bit taken aback by the strangeness of the name and says that it’s “interesting.” Ghat replies by saying “It’s the name of a very lonely, very old god.”
We’re going to wrap it up from there so as to avoid any further spoilers!
Ghat seems to have an insatiable curiosity about Wes's life, and slowly but surely, brings out some dark secrets buried deep within him. As Wes delves deeper into this surreal conversation, we’re treated to a gripping blend of comedic dialogue and unsettling revelations. The interactions oscillate between absurdity and poignant truths, raising questions about identity, belief, and the deeper meanings—or absurdities—of life itself. It’s a brilliantly crafted narrative that expertly plays with the boundaries of reality and the absurd, turning a simple rest stop into a backdrop for profound introspection!
Throughout the film, we potatoes were captivated by how it cleverly intertwines humor with horror! Wes's journey feels like a chaotic unraveling of his psyche, as he grapples with personal demons and the overwhelming realization of his own insignificance. The bathroom stall becomes a literal and metaphorical confinement. The question that remains throughout the film is: “Will Wes find liberation or simply be trapped forever?”
One of the themes that we potatoes greatly appreciated was the idea of “taking responsibility” for your own actions and your own life. Ghat challenges Wes to look inward, pushing him to own up to his actions, and mistakes without casting blame on others. This idea of accountability is crucial not only to Wes’s personal journey but also to relationships in general. The film subtly explores how denying responsibility can lead to broken connections, unresolved guilt, shame and an inability to move forward.
Accountability isn’t just a philosophical theme, it’s a necessity for genuine connection and growth. For relationships to thrive, whether personal or cosmic (in Wes’s case), there must be a willingness to accept and own up to one’s flaws, mistakes, and actions honestly without shifting the blame onto others. As Ghat forces Wes to confront his past decisions, the film reminds us that meaningful change, connection and true redemption can only come when we take responsibility for our actions and the roles we play in others' lives. Wes has MUCH to own up to, (and that is putting it mildly…) and it’s something that permeates the narrative all the way up to the end of the film and is handled in such a clever and unique way!
The film is like a macabre carnival, jarring yet inviting! The voice of Ghat offers comedic relief, but as the layers peel away, the humor sharpens into a commentary on loneliness and the struggle for connection. J. K. Simmon’s performance is phenomenal, and we always love hearing him do voice acting work! This role seemed right up his alley!
The performances elevate this surreal tale! All of J. K. Simmon’s lines are delivered with a captivating charm, striking a perfect balance between amusement and menace. Ryan Kwanten portrayed Wes with a raw emotionality that allows viewers to empathize with a character floundering in the depth of despair making his struggle and acceptance of absurdity all the more powerful!
In addition, due to the fact that the majority of this film is shot on the inside of a rest stop bathroom, it really did give us vibes that this story either started off as a short story or could be adapted to small theater for live performances! It feels like a rare thing to have such an interesting movie with only a couple characters!
We potatoes absolutely loved Glorious! It's an incredibly distinctive film that marries horror with humor in ways that are both hilarious and introspective! If you're in the mood for something unconventional that dares you to look within and laugh along the way, Glorious is worth the watch! If we potatoes were to recommend a movie to introduce the concept of Lovecraftian horror, this would be the one!
So, whether you’re a fan of horror, comedy, or simply great storytelling, this film will serve up a unique blend that will keep you engaged until the very end! Cheers to another captivating venture into the surreal depths of existence! And most importantly, cheers to you!
We give Glorious 5 out of 5 cosmic martinis!
The Glorious Drinking Game
Take a sip anytime:
1. The glory hole is on screen
2. Wes cries or screams
3. Wes has a flashback
4. Wes tries to look inside the bathroom stall
5. Wes tries to escape the bathroom
6. Anyone mentions the universe
7. Photograph of Brenda on screen
8. Weird or unexplained shit happens on screen
9. Ghat mentions his father
10. We get a glimpse of Ghat
11. There’s slime on screen
12. Anytime you laugh
13. Wes touches his face
14. There’s gore on screen
What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!