Cult Corner: ‘Glory Daze’ Is A Chilling Documentary About Clubbing Going Wrong

When we talk about streaming culture, we’re usually enthusing about what’s new, but one of the best things about streaming is how it’s made old and obscure cult hits available to a new generation. Presenting Cult Corner: your weekly look into hidden gems and long-lost curiosities that you can find on streaming.

Though 2018 has just really started, we already have a huge show of the year to look forward to. Tonight marks the premier of FX and Ryan Murphy‘s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Based on real life, the miniseries depicts the life and crimes of Andrew Cunanan, a male escort who was well known in the clubbing scene and eventually murdered five men across America. However, before you dive into FX’s fictionalized take on a party boy-led murder, it’s worthwhile to explore a similar real-life crime that’s far less chilling and more regretful.

Glory Daze: The Life and Times of Michael Alig is a fascinating watch, both as an exploration into the party scene in the ’80s and as a sobering tale about how one fight spiraled out of control in a gruesome way. The documentary follows the life of Michael Alig, who is best known as a founding member of the notorious Club Kids. The first half of the documentary explores the rise of this movement. explaining the decadence and fun-loving spirit of these impromptu New York City raves. Hearing the interview subjects talk about these times makes it clear that these nights were something truly special to each speaker. That’s partially what makes the second half of the documentary so chilling.

During an argument with another Club Kid, Andre “Angel” Melendez, the documentary notes that things got heated. There were drugs involved, and the confrontation spiraled out of control, leading to Alig and Robert D. “Freeze” Riggs killing their friend in an act of self-defense. It’s not the initial murder that makes this documentary so chilling but the aftermath.

However, what sets Glory Daze apart isn’t its crime but its tone. The documentary doesn’t feel scandalous or exploitative. Rather it watches as something that’s remorseful. As much as the documentary’s subjects loved this period of their lives and this era of clubbing, they’re all forced to face the fact that it led to some truly depressing and shocking deaths, both the aforementioned murder and several deaths as a result of overdoses and the AIDs epidemic. At one point one of the interview subjects claims he wasn’t surprised that Angel died because it was so commonplace to see friends and acquaintances die during this time. That’s what transforms Glory Daze from just another documentary about a scandalous murder into something more. It’s a film tinged with regret in an unexpected way that feels authentic.

Stream Glory Daze on Netflix