Glorious Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Glorious Blu-ray Movie Review

The worst rest stop since "Rest Stop".

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 11, 2023

Rebekah McKendry's unique close-quarters horror film Glorious might just have the finest one-sentence summary in years: "man gets trapped inside a rest stop bathroom by a vengeful demigod". It's a solid example of COVID-era indie filmmaking done well... even if the end result still feels a bit padded at 79 minutes (including credits!) and it relies on stunt voice casting from J.K. Simmons to elevate a script that might've fallen flat in less authoritative hands.

Anyway, the story goes like this: distraught Wes (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood), who's driving around aimlessly after a bitter breakup with girlfriend Brenda (Sylvia Grace Crim), pulls into a highway rest stop to clear the cobwebs. Finally mustering enough courage to burn any belongings that remind him of their past, Wes starts a big bonfire before getting blackout drunk. After waking up the next morning with a nasty hangover, he vomits in the bathroom before a stranger in the next stall strikes up a conversation. A decorative glory hole is all that connects the two, and Wes really isn't in the mood for small talk... but soon enough, the mystery man identifies himself as Ghatanothoa (Simmons), a demigod whose "father" accidentally created the universe and humanity. He's not allowed to gaze upon the being's face, if it even has one -- otherwise, it'd pretty much be that one scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark -- but "Ghat" shows off his powers when tested, even punishing Wes' attempted peek by revealing horrific visions of his girlfriend.

The desperate Wes makes every attempt to escape the bathroom despite its seemingly welded-shut door, but none prove successful; even an air vent under the sink just leads back into itself like an endless, frustrating loop. His cries for help are miraculously answered by a strangely authoritative property manager named Gary (Andre' Lamar), who ends up locked inside the bathroom too but doesn't last more than a few minutes. It's all because Wes seems to be "the chosen one", a man who can help Ghatanothoa transcend into the ethereal plane by satisfying the being's need for some sort of physical offering by a mortal through the connecting glory hole. This may or may not be what you think... and while that little gag is indeed one of Glorious' most memorable moments, it's just the tip of a twisted tale involving possible universal annihilation, crumbling reality, shocking personal revelations, and a couple other sharp left turns. Sprinkled throughout the show are several interesting ruminations on love, morality, loss, and the afterlife, as well as buckets and buckets of blood and filth to get under the skin of sensitive post-2020 germaphobes.

It's a pretty wild ride -- a little thin in spots considering the runtime, but decently captivating for what's essentially a one-man show -- and Glorious plays well enough on the small screen thanks to RLJ Entertainment's brand-new Blu-ray. Although the limited (and exceedingly gross) environment doesn't always translate to non-stop visual excitement, it's got a few flashes of cosmic-tinted brilliance and the surprisingly robust lossless audio mix deserves a good bit of extra credit as well. Sadly, there's a complete lack of bonus features... but hey, at least the price is right.

Glorious Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Visually, Glorious fares pretty damn well for a film shot almost entirely in one of the most unhygienic bathrooms this side of a construction site port-o-potty. Intermittent scenes -- most of the opening stretch, a handful of short "rest breaks" along the way, and of course sporadic flashbacks from Wes' past -- are shot outdoors and look quite lovely in natural light. Elsewhere, electric pink and blue tones give the main indoor location plenty of style points, even though most of these shots are lit primarily by standard fluorescent bulbs and very limited sunlight streaming in through one small window. Fine detail is good enough to make everything perfectly readable, from stray graffiti to close-ups and clothing textures, while heavy black levels dominate shadowy corners and a few hallucinatory sequences near the end. It's encoded well enough on RLJ's single-layered disc, which proves to be more than enough real estate for less than 80 minutes of total content, although trace amounts of banding and artifacts could be spotted along the way. Overall, though, Glorious is a solid-looking indie film that has made the transition to Blu-ray very smoothly.

Glorious Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In the audio department, Glorious is also up to the challenge with a suitably ambitious DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that pulls about as much excitement out of "guy in a rest stop bathroom" as humanly possible. Of course, most of Wes' dialogue is anchored up front with subtle echoes occasionally drifting into the rears, as are portions of Ghatanothoa's authoritative speeches (albeit with much more weight); the film establishes a tight use of space and placement early on, feeling alternately more and less confined during our main character's descent into chaos. A few demonstrations of cosmic power and third-act freakouts make much more deliberate use of the rear channels and subwoofer, as do the sporadic and mostly atmospheric music cues by composer Jake Hull. Any film with this kind of subject matter, horror-tinted or not, is all but ensured to play tricks on the ears and Glorious is no different, spicing up its lack of characters with plenty of interesting little touches that make it a much more engaging sonic experience than expected.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature.

Glorious Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with eye-catching (and suitably grimy) cover artwork, and a promotional insert is tucked inside. Unfortunately no bonus features are included, which is especially disappointing given the film's loopy subject matter. There's not even a trailer; one can be found here, but it's kind of spoiler-heavy.

Glorious Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rebekah McKendry's Glorious is a unique COVID-era indie film that might live or die by its oddball premise... and while you'll certainly need to go into this one with a very specific mindset, anyone who appreciates loopy cosmic horror will probably find a lot to enjoy. (It might just be a future cult classic too, as anyone who bears witness to this beast is bound to share it with friends.) RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray disappointingly has no bonus features to speak of, but the solid A/V merits and reliably low price tag make up for it. Recommended to the right audience, for sure.