Through the Glass Darkly

Mystery/thrillers is one of the rarer sub genres of WLW film. Rarer still is a good WLW mystery/thriller. Enter Through the Glass Darkly. This movie has all the hallmarks of any number of straight films in this genre you’ve seen. It leans heavily into the current trend of mystery/thrillers being bleak, depressing and focusing on the depths of human depravity and tragedy. Please note that while I’m trying to keep it vague, this review may contain spoilers.

Through the Glass Darkly focuses on a woman’s search for her missing daughter. Charlie has been searching for her daughter for over a year but gets little help from law enforcement. Part of this is because she’s ostracized for being a lesbian. Part of this is that her daughter’s disappearance is tied up with the small town’s most rich and powerful family, the Carmichaels. Luckily for Charlie, an intrepid reporter named Amy arrives to help her unravel the mystery. Unfortunately, Charlie’s mental state and medication affect her perception of reality causing even more uncertainty.

One thing I found most interesting about Through the Glass Darkly is how much it mimics the last 20 years or so of mystery/thrillers. The first act made me write in my notes that the film feels dated; very much like a late 90s/early 2000s movie despite it being released in 2021. But As the film goes on, it borrows more from the new decade of mystery/thrillers like Prisoners and True Detective. Turns out, there’s a plot relevant reason for why it felt dated in the first act. I genuinely don’t know if this was even intentional. But either way, given the plot of the film, it’s neat how the film progresses from a 90’s feeling mystery to a 2010’s mystery.

The thing that Through the Glass Darkly borrows most from the new generation of mystery/thrillers is an absolute sense of bleakness. Mysteries these days are depressing, y’all. Gone are the days when the protagonist could solve the mystery and have a happy ending. Through the Glass Darkly is much more one of those mysteries where the more you scratch the surface, the more disturbing details come out. Nobody gets to be a hero and nobody emerges unscathed. Instead, every revelation just hurts more. Like many modern mysteries, it’s a portrait of the worst impulses of humanity and the fact that every single person is hiding a terrible secret and nobody can be considered innocent.

This theme makes the film feel almost more of tragedy than a mystery. This movie is sad, you guys. That’s not necessarily a negative but just be forewarned; this isn’t a feel-good movie. For me, this is a positive. It very much anchors the genre of mystery in tragedy. Actions have consequences and suspects and investigators alike have depth of character. This helps its audience invest in the film. It’s not just a question of whodunit but there’s also desire for Charlie and other characters to get closure and answers for their own well-being.

Through the Glass Darkly’s biggest issue is the same as its biggest success. It’s a film that fits almost too comfortably in the small-town mystery/thriller genre. This can mean it feels like you’ve seen it before and may make it too easy to unravel the story. On the other hand, I’m a big fan of what if we took this common straight person genre film and made it queer? So long as it’s competent, anyways. Through the Glass Darkly is competent and I’m a big fan of stories about LGBTQ* individuals that allow them to do things other than come out or fall in love. Overall, Through the Glass Darkly works as a familiar yet queer take on the mystery genre complete with an absolute boatload of tragedy just for fun.

Overall rating: 7.7/10

Other WLW films in similar genres