‘Sea of Glass’ Review: A Widow’s Coastal Healing Retreat Turns Into a Stately, Moody Greek Tragedy

Greek writer-director Alexis Alexiou returns with "Sea of Glass," his first feature in 11 years since the neo-noir "Wednesday 04:45," blending crime-drama atmospherics with classical Greek tragedy and family melodrama. The film, which recently screened out of competition at the Edinburgh Film Festival, follows a widow's attempt at solitary healing that instead draws her into another woman's ordeal, resulting in what the review calls a moving, stately study of female solidarity across generations.

The story centres on Vangelio (Evangelia Andreadaki), a woman in her sixties who, after years of caring for her bedridden husband, books an off-season break at a rundown coastal hotel on the Greek island of Evia following his death. There she befriends Vicky (Christiana Matelska Toka), the hotel's 23-year-old manager, who is trapped caring for her abusive, alcoholic father (Michalis Iatropoulos). Written by Alexiou with Afroditi Nikolaidou and citing "Thelma and Louise" as an influence, the 130-minute film is praised for its atmosphere and performances, though the review notes its slow-burning setup could benefit from tightening.