In the mist-shrouded world of Kelsey Egan’s 2021 film, Glasshouse, memories are as fragile as the glass walls that protect its inhabitants.
This South African dystopian thriller, released at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been lingering in my mind like a ghost, refusing to be exorcised long after the credits rolled.
Yes, I know I’m three years late to the party. But having stumbled upon it only recently, it can’t for the life of me stop thinking about it…
It’s haunting me.
Glasshouse: What it’s all about
Set in a world ravaged by a dementia-like toxin called “the Shred,” the film follows a family isolated in a greenhouse sanctuary.
Their ritualistic existence is disrupted when the eldest daughter invites a wounded stranger into their midst.
This sets off a chain of events that will challenge everything they hold dear.
The stranger’s arrival unearths mysteries from their past best left undiscovered.
The film’s setting, the Pearson Conservatory in the Eastern Cape, serves as more than just a backdrop. It’s a character in its own right!
The weathered Victorian architecture is a stark reminder of a world lost to time and memory.
Watch: Glasshouse trailer
The claustrophobic atmosphere seeps through the screen, making you feel as trapped as the characters themselves. I don’t like confined spaces to begin with, yet I couldn’t look away.
Genre? What genre?
Egan and co-writer Emma Lungiswa de Wet have crafted a story that defies easy classification.
Part fairy tale, part psychological thriller, Glasshouse keeps you on edge with its lyrical dialogue and unsettling normalcy of ritual and violence.
Daisy (portrayed by Kitty Harris) is exceptional at this. She settles in so comfortably with the violent nature of the world, with such ease…
It will send chills down your spine.
The rest of the ensemble cast, led by Jessica Alexander and Hilton Pelser, delivers nuanced performances that bring depth to this eerie tale.
When cinematography becomes ethereal
The film’s visual style is hauntingly beautiful, with ethereal cinematography that contrasts sharply with the darkness of its themes.
Even the homemade hazmat suits worn by the characters add to the creeping sense of unease that permeates every frame.
In an interview with Spling, the film’s creators joked about windy PE “blowing away our mist!” They also only had 2 or 3 days with the mist machine.
“We were running around frantically, trying to make the mist waft in the right direction. […] We had to get the right level of mist in the glasshouse for that claustrophobic feeling.”
They joked that with a great amount of effort from everyone involved, “we got a lot more mist than we should have.”
Should you watch Glasshouse?
Let me be clear… Glasshouse is not a film for everyone. Its slow-burn pacing and ambiguous narrative may frustrate those seeking more conventional thrills.
And ‘those’ viewers were really venting about it in the IMBD review section… But hey, it’s okay if not everyone “gets” this movie.
But for those willing to immerse themselves in its world, it offers a rich, multilayered experience that resonates deeply in our post-pandemic world.
The first of three!
As the first in a planned trilogy, Glasshouse sets a high bar for what’s to come.
It’s a testament to the power of South African cinema and a reminder of the potency of speculative fiction in exploring our deepest fears and desires.
In this world fictional world, where memories are currency and survival comes at a cost, Glasshouse asks us: what would we sacrifice to keep our loved ones safe?
The answer, it seems, is as foggy as the mist that surrounds this captivating greenhouse of horrors.
