Since the dawn of humanity, sex has been a significant part of our lives, with the orgasm being the most important part of that journey. It is an experience of pure ecstasy and joy, and at times it relieves you from stress. It is a moment of celebration, pleasure, eroticism, and sensuality. But for Gloria (Stefania Tortorella), the case has been the opposite, as her wait for an orgasm has continued for 30 years.
Gloria is a quiet single woman working at a bookstore. She is restless and exhausted by the constant disappointing men she meets, to the point that her co-worker and best friend Sandra (Nenan Pelenur) tells her that she needs to get laid. Apparently it is written all over her face. Gloria has never had an orgasm, and to top that she hasn’t been getting any sleep because she’s been forced to listen to her neighbors’ electrifying sex life through the thin walls of her apartment. Sick and tired, Gloria decides to rent out her apartment and moves to a new place where she finally finds her ideal lover, but he is not of this world.
Written by Maura Sarser and co-directed by Sarser and Marcela Matta, Ghosting Gloria is a charming surprise in the discovery of self-love. Sometimes people give up on ever finding love, which leads to either focusing all their energy on work or just living by a routine because time moves on. Gloria is doing all that while being surrounded by literature where she reads about love, sex, life, and death. Being well-read, Gloria helps customers find the right books according to their needs, even when the customers annoy or irritate her. Unlike books, in life you can’t really filter out the right person according to your needs and wants. But for Gloria, life found a way. Though supernatural, Gloria sexually embraces her new ghost lover, who leads her to having her first-ever orgasm.
There is a refreshing feel to the way the story unfolds. There are moments where the movie could have fallen into the usual tropes of a romantic comedy, but instead the filmmakers mash up genres to reinvent the story as it moves forward. One scene that truly stands out is when Gloria finally comes face to face with her ghost lover. It is a scene where everything Gloria had expected and imagined of him comes crashing down and leads her to have an honest conversation with herself, which opens to a new chapter where she discovers an unlikely love in her boss Gustavo (Sarser).
The great thing about Ghosting Gloria is that it never judges or lets its characters, or even the audience, feel ashamed about Gloria’s positive sexual journey. Rather, it draws you into this fantastical world where Gloria discovers what she needs in her life: love and the sexual bonds that form between two people in sync with each other’s needs.
Ghosting Gloria is led by the incredible Tortorella, who charms her way into her daydreaming character that is in great need of a spark in her life. You can easily step into her character’s headspace as her desire for love is built upon the literature she reads. There is a simplicity in the way Tortorella captures Gloria, from a lost soul to a person who would go to heaven and back for love.
There are enough twists and turns that bring an element of surprise for the audience. While the title might suggest it is a story that will take its turn into the horror genre, the truth is far from it. Ghosting Gloria, at its core, is a story about the bond we share as humans and our search for love. With the use of supernatural elements, the story gives the push for Gloria to find herself. It is a wondrous and exciting journey of love and sexual discovery.
