Glorious Summer Film Review: Gloriously Special

Glorious Summer uses stellar cinematography and praiseworthy performances to comment on women’s freedom in direct and fascinating ways.

Three women (Ganjalyan, Magdalena Fejdasz, and Daniela Komędera) live together in a palace they are not allowed to leave. Not that they would want to leave. They have everything they could want. All of their needs are provided for by an unseen technological/AI system, and it is always summer. The women occasionally communicate through “touch language,” a way to speak to each other and provide information solely through touch. As the film progresses, the women begin to question their environment and their freedom.

One of Glorious Summer’s many strengths is its introduction of ideas and the commitment to see those ideas through. This idea of freedom is prominent, especially in the context of femininity. These women seem to believe they are free, or they at least do not seem to notice they are trapped. Over the film’s 90-minute runtime, the women espouse longings for personal freedom (“I want to run,” “to fully experience,”). In an age where women’s freedom is still called into question, these ideas are relevant, and the film portrays them in a way that feels fresh.

For many debut films, the limited budget becomes a hindrance, but Glorious Summer uses its small scale to its advantage. That trapped and isolated feeling the women are experiencing pairs well with the small scale. The direction frequently calls attention to that sense of confinement, with shots often taking up large spaces and the women making up only a small segment of the frame. The film’s cinematography is stunning, recalling the likes of Andrei Tarkovsky. Focusing on sunlight and the contrast between the outside world (filled with the beautiful greens of the trees and grass) and inside the palace (represented by beautiful but blank whites and grays), the cinematography is used as a storytelling tool.

There are also frequent close-ups of the women’s faces, bringing to mind the work of Ingmar Bergman — a director whose work also comments on the role of women and their isolation (Using both Bergman and Tarkovsky as comparisons should tell you how marvelous this movie is). These cinematic choices simultaneously give a voice and a face to a group of women who are being repressed and show their place in a large, scary world.

This idea of fear is also featured frequently throughout the film. The women are told they are kept in this isolation because “the outside world is too much to bear.” This begs questions about the nature of control and who gets to decide what we do with our own lives. None of these themes are bluntly portrayed. They are expertly woven into this story, one that will leave you with a range of emotions by the ending scene.

The movie is hypnotic. Not in a boring, put-you-to-sleep way, but in a way that is completely captivating. Taking from Bergman and Tarkovsky, Szpak and Ganjalyan tell a tale that feels otherworldly, yet all-too-real at the same time. They implore their audience to think about what might be controlling them, what might be causing fear and isolation, and what it would take to achieve real freedom. It’s glorious in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I hope others quickly discover its beauty.

Glorious Summer had its World Premiere at SXSW on March 8, 2025 and will be screened again on March 10-13. Read our SXSW reviews and our list of films to watch at SXSW 2025!