Shadows on the Wall

Glorious

dir Rebekah McKendry
scr Joshua Hull, David Ian McKendry
prd Bob Portal, Joe Wicker, Morgan Peter Brown, Jason Scott Goldberg, Christian Armogida, Inderpal Singh
with Ryan Kwanten, JK Simmons, Sylvia Grace Crim, Andre Lamar, Tordy Clark, Sarah Clark, Katie Bacque
release US/UK 19.Aug.22
22/US 1h19

Is it streaming?

One of those horror movies in which virtually everything on-screen is carefully designed to freak out the audience, this film has a simple high-concept premise livened up with a grisly sense of humour. Largely set in one room, it's a Twilight Zone-style narrative about an angry man who has a supernatural experience that forces him to peer into his soul. It's entertainingly nasty, but never becomes more than that.

Unhinged by heartbreak, Wes (Kwanten) pulls into a highway rest stop, gets drunk and sets a bonfire to his emotions. In the morning, he hears a chatty know-it-all voice (Simmons) coming from a cubicle in the restroom, claiming to be the dark god Ghatanothoa. As he also starts having visions of his ex (Crim), Wes is taunted by Ghat's stories and elusive challenges. And Ghat refuses to let Wes leave until he grants him a gruesome favour. Then a worker (Lamar) stumbles into this scene, which Ghat can't allow when the cosmos are at stake.

Without revealing much, director McKendry adds nutty details everywhere, evoking visceral feelings rather than clear plot points. Ghat's voice emerges from behind a man-monster mural, while other artwork appears to animate his history. Colourful effects add bright hues of light as well as glimpses of Ghat's hideous corporeal form. Plus of course some outrageous goriness. Everything is delivered with gleeful smugness, as if the filmmakers are unwilling to divulge some key morsels of information. Indeed.

Essentially a one-man show, the set-up gives Kwanten a range of bonkers scenes to play. While there are moments of barbed humour, much of the story centres on Wes' inner rage, as he impatiently seeks ways out of this insane situation. Wes is too petulant to be likeable, but Kwanten gives him a heart, so his predicament piques the imagination. Meanwhile, Simmons' expressive voice prattles on about the fate of all life in the universe, which hinges on a feud with a fellow god, plus an unthinkable request delivered with casual annoyance.

The film's pushy message centres around how Wes blames everyone and everything for all of his problems, never taking responsibility for his own actions. Both he and Ghat are simply too arrogant to generate much sympathy, so the story points that emerge later on feel oddly irrelevant. But the cast and crew stir feelings and provocations into a heady brew of blood-soaked nastiness. This may be enough for genre fans, but others may wish they could have connected with something along the way.

themes, language, violence 16.Aug.22

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.