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The Screen Queen Presents: GLOW


by Dana Muwwakkil

Step into the ring with the Women from GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) – the 1980s spandex and big hair world that women like actor Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) land in when quality acting roles are scarce.

Dreaming of landing a role that consists of more than telling powerful men that their wives are on line one, Ruth stumbles into GLOW and thinks this gig might be her big break. 

The organization is brand new, headed by former B-list director and financed by a rich kid who wants to turn the women into stereotypes. Ruth is a natural front-runner who is passionate about her craft, but struggles to develop a compelling character and find her footing with the physical training.

The show is based on the real women from GLOW, which became the very first television show with all female pro wrestlers in 1986. Netflix also has a documentary showing the real trailblazers some of the characters are loosely based on. These women were incredible enough to take a male-dominated sport and turn it on its ear. 

This Netflix debut series consists of 10, 35-minute episodes making GLOW a cinch to consume during a weekend binge or even in a day. GLOW may go down easy but these ladies don’t. These women are total bad asses in the ring and some are just as over-the-top in their real lives, but the story is still grounded in their real world personas, filled with friendship, heartache and ambition.

To describe GLOW in wrestling terms: It’s a bonafide stunner.

Screen Queen Dana Muwwakkil tackles social trends and movies in her blog and for other publications. She, her husband and their three children live in Ulster County. This review originally appeared in originally appeared in the Jan/ 2018 Issue.
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