The Glow Up

Description

We meet Brian, a world-weary office manager at a worn-down insurance firm on a seemingly ordinary day. There’s just one change, a colleague, Morris, is returning from a sabbatical, but something about him is different, he\'s glowing… literally. His face shoots beams of heavenly light. But, only Brian sees it, even Morris is blissfully unaware. Subtle miracles unfold, wilting plants revive, the broken printer fires out flawless faxes, and the terrible coffee machine now brews celestial flat-whites. Office morale skyrockets, but no-one notices these otherworldly events, amplifying Brian\'s growing mania. Brian sneakily visits the travel agency behind Morris\'s trip, seeking answers but finds none. Racing through traffic, he barely returns for a pivotal meeting. The film\'s tension reaches its crescendo when Morris\'s glowing face throws Brian off mid client presentation, causing an embarrassing scene. A frustrated Brian snaps and angrily confronts Morris, causing the light to extinguish, along with the office’s newfound vibrancy. In the film\'s final act, Brian has an epiphany; his problems weren\'t caused by Morris\'s glow, but by his own inner shadows. And so, In a heartfelt conclusion, Brian seeks to make amends and to reignite the office\'s spirit, and discovers his own glow in the process.

Biblical Connection

I was inspired by the story of Moses who, after receiving the Ten Commandments, returned with a face so luminous that he had to wear a veil. I found humor in the Israelites\' panicked reaction to the divinely-transformed Moses and wondered... How would Moses fare today? Would he be asked to hide, or would the world embrace his newfound glow? I felt drawn to tell this story because in today\'s digital age, we are continuously bombarded with promises of enlightenment around every corner and at the end of every scroll. This overwhelming barrage has made us more guarded, and we\'ve become so wary that spontaneous positivity or genuine goodness can seem out of place, even alarming. The twist in my film is that Morris’s glow wasn’t bestowed by God, but was formed through Brian’s own jealous perception, and it is Brian’s revelation that drives the narrative. By highlighting this modern dilemma through the symbolism of the glowing face, I want to make a film that is both absurdly humorous and deeply humane. It’s a reminder that true brightness doesn\'t have to come from profound revelations, ice plunges, or juice cleanses… but from simply treating each other a little bit better.