It may seem like overkill to release a plague film in the midst of a global pandemic, yet the film Glasshouse has a lot to offer viewers, particularly public library patrons. It’s a claustrophobic, harrowing movie, and will appeal to a wide audience.
The plague in the film is known as “the shred,” an airborne virus that strips away victims’ memories and leaves them in a feral state. The four main characters live in an old greenhouse. You have the leader, known only as Mother (Adrienne Pearce). You have the guarded Evie (Anja Taljaard), curious Bee (Jessica Alexander, soon to be in the new Little Mermaid remake), and the young teen Daisy (Kitty Harris). There’s also a brother Gabe (Brent Vermuelen), newly infected with the virus. Mother leads the children in farming, reading, and telling stories of the time before The Shred.
They also are trained to kill anyone who approaches their home.
A handsome stranger (Hilton Pesler) soon appears and is only wounded by the ragtag team. He is soon nursed back to health by Mother and company, who soon wonder who this stranger is. But in a world ravaged by a plague that strips people of their memory, will finding out the man’s identity even matter?
Glasshouse is a stunning character study with an apocalyptic backdrop. It’s a tad uneven at times, but fans of the thriller and psychological genres will find a lot to like here. The film would work well for students studying psychology or the environment.