A darkly comedic and imaginative Lovecraftian horror indie, Glorious takes its two-man performance structure and unlikely setting and creates a miracle of a horror feature where smarts, creativity, and religious allegory results in a compelling and terrifying tale of one confused man and a lonely god.
In the history of cinema there have been many depictions of God talking to man, ranging from Charlton Heston’s Moses talking to the burning bush in The Ten Commandments, to Jim Carrey gabbing with Morgan Freeman’s smooth-talking God in Bruce Almighty. Glorious centres on a meeting with God, or a god, that is unique to say the least.
It all begins with Wes (Ryan Kwanten), a dishevelled and heartbroken man who finds himself hangover and sick inside a roadside truck-stop toilet. Wes realises he is not alone when a booming voice from the opposing stall introduces himself as Ghatanothoa, a “very lonely, very old god”. Turns old the universe has a favour to ask of Wes, one that will test his capacity to place others ahead of himself, and this god is not taking “no” for an answer.
Directed by Rebekah McEndry (All the Creatures Were Stirring), Glorious delivers as an intriguing and engrossing horror comedy where subjects of theology and mythology are always in play yet never drag the film down into a pit of pretentiousness. Talk of destruction and sacrifice blend well with high-grade toilet humour, in which the editing by Joseph Shahood (The Mortuary Collection) particularly shines in its shifts from light to dark.
Impressive too is the squishy, gory depictions of violence that range from the depraved to the surreal, such as a scene in which one unfortunate intruder feels the wrath of this god resulting in a crimson shower akin to blood pouring from the heavens. Cinematographer David Matthews (Jakob’s Wife) blends the grimy aesthetic of a roadside shithouse with neon pinks and crimson reds, creating as unique a colour palate seen in a horror in some time.
The back-and-forth between Kwanten’s unhinged pilgrim and Simmons’ guilt ridden god of destruction is a hoot. Simmons’ distinct booming voice the perfect casting as an ancient god who has developed emotionally complex feelings for mankind. Ghatanothoa, the firstborn of the mighty Cthulhu, is a key figure of Lovecraftian lore who in Glorious is a creation both scary and contemplative.
McEndry, in her third feature film, has delivered a horror film that lives up to its title, with Glorious a Lovecraftian nod to gods, men, and all the messiness in between.
