Humor, Horror, and Humanity Meld in Lovecraftian Film ‘Glorious’

New fear unlocked.

The restroom has always been a great place to sit back and relax. We’ve all spent too much time on the toilet. Whether we’re scrolling through social media, pondering our day, or just taking a beat before heading back to life, back to reality. The restroom provides an odd comfort that we can’t entirely explain. So it makes sense that it’s also the backdrop for Shudder’s cosmic horror Glorious.

Wes (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood) is reeling after a bad breakup. He looks a mess, continues to nod off at the wheel, and has a tantrum with a teddy bear. After leaving numerous voicemails on his ex-girlfriend’s phone, he engages in a party-of-one wild night where he burns everything, including his pants. The morning after, his stomach starts bubbling as alcohol seeks its revenge. He sprints to the public restroom at a remote rest stop and dives head first into the toilet. Once he rids himself of last night’s poor decisions, a voice (J.K. Simmons, Invincible) greets him from the next stall, “Everything alright over there, my friend?”

Let’s pause. Before we even get into the rest of this story, we must acknowledge that the scariest thing in this film is probably how filthy the public bathroom is. After years of pandemic living, watching Kwanten stick his entire head into the toilet to vomit and then place his hands all over the soiled seat is what fuels nightmares. Okay, back to the story.

When the voice in the stall tries to engage with Wes through what appears to be a glory hole in the center of an elaborate graffiti monster, like an average person, Wes isn’t into it and tries to leave the bathroom but finds himself locked in, trapped by whatever fate the universe has for him.

Written by Todd Rigney, Joshua Hull, and David Ian McKendry, the story stirs up themes of guilt, purpose, humanity, redemption, and a series of other interpretations that viewers could pull out from its seams.

Director Rebekah McKendry maximizes every inch of the set and manifests in the single-location film nothing short of a mystery. The grotesque bathroom does part of the work while shot selection and colorful, vibrant pink hues assist. Her admiration of Lovecraftian lore parades through subtle details that appear throughout the film and pair well with Rigney, Hull, and McKendry’s story fueled with gore, wit, philosophy, and humor.

The film gets in and out, as most of us do in a public restroom, running just short of 80 minutes. The length is part of what helps the film keep your attention throughout its entirety. There aren’t any dead spots, and each shot, line that’s spoken, and brief pause are purposed to take you to the next point.

Kwanten delivers an exceptional performance. We never see Simmons in the film, yet he and Kwanten play off each other well. Kwanten uses his spotlight well and successfully portrays a person caged by an emotional situation, both literally and figuratively. We catch glimpses of his past as the film unfolds, and I wouldn’t dare reveal any spoilers so you can enjoy it in full. Though, if I had to be a stickler on one thing, I would want a little more about his character’s past.

There are a few swelling moments and jump scares as the tale unravels from an awkward chat with a stranger into an esoteric discussion of cosmic proportions. But most of the fear lies in weird and obscure — fear of the unknown. What’s lurking in the stall?

If you’re familiar with this subgenre, you’ll feel at home. If you’re new to this style of horror, then strap in. You may not be able to describe what you’re about to see, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Glorious is an inventive horror film that’ll have you check the stalls at every public restroom.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars