b_imdb-785-173208

...the frenetic pace, the humor, all of the absurd parts, but underneath the fun, this movie is just another young adult melodrama, with a bunch of talented actors pushing the emoting up to 11, but around issues that are just petty and banal. The second half, in particular, is just a series of supposedly meaningful dialogue presented with tears and trembling lips. The humor cannot take away from the fact that this movie has nothing to say, really, but takes itself very seriously still. Piling on the allegory does not cover up that the conflicts underneath are just not very interesting or profound. Even Michelle Yeoh was a disappointment.

After having watched the first three episodes of Glow, I can say that this is really quite an interesting show. It's part of a new wave of "direct-to-VoD" series that don't have to bow to cable TV standards in terms of language or nudity, but also concerning story development. Glow is a comedy alright, but it tackles difficult subjects like adultery and hard life choices. I would not say that this combination clicks every single time, but there are really quite awesome moments (and very funny ones, too) and I enjoy the basic setup and characters a lot. The acting is also pretty good.

I am curious to see where this is going, but I have to say that I'm very happy that there are shows like this that try to break a little from the mold.

This film follows a number of strongly religious MMA fighters that are trying to either reconcile their faith and their fighting or flat out make the two synergize by founding "fight churches". With the exception of one guy that is obviously full of aggressiveness, misogyny, contempt, etc., the people in the spotlight come off as very likable.

What makes this film so fascinating is not so much the fighting, but the close view into the state of mind of a certain kind of evangelical Christianism. And when one of the nice looking dads in the film starts talking about being prepared to strike the devil, his deltoids twitching with excitement, this feels like the beginning of a subtle horror movie.

It's a study into how religion and aggression can feed on each other and this makes this a really timely (and very well made) piece. Striking is made possible by the deep conviction in one's own righteousness. Always with a bible quote on their lips. In particular for European audiences, this also sheds light on the sometimes baffling coexistence of religiousness and violence in the US.