I Saw The TV Glow is one to sit with, maybe more literally than figuratively. In the two screenings of the film that I attended, when the credits started, the theaters were filled with an audible silence. There was a buzz of shock in the air and you could feel the audience processing what they’d just experienced. And after about 30 seconds, folks gathered themselves and hit the exits. Of the movie-watching experiences that 2024 has to offer, I Saw the TV Glow may be the one that doesn’t require an immediate reaction, but a meditation on the horrific and strange journey we were just on.
We follow Owen (played by Justice Smith; Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Ian Foreman; Let the Right One In respectively), a quiet and shy seventh grader, and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine; Atypical), a brooding and pensive ninth grader, as they meet for the first time. They form a connection through the fictional teen horror show The Pink Opaque. In the oncoming years, the teens become further disconnected from the seemingly quaint suburban lifestyle and more drawn into the show and themselves. Maddy is physically abused by her stepfather, makes plans to run away, and invites Owen to come with her. Here, a divergence in the film happens: Owen is on his path, and Maddy is on hers. When Maddy reenters Owen’s life after going missing for 10 years, she reveals that she has been trapped in The Pink Opaque.
“Slow burn” may be the easiest (maybe, laziest) way to describe I Saw the TV Glow. The film takes its time to build the world to let the audience see the characters for who they are. We sit in a lot of difficult and deep emotions with no tidy conclusions. Also, the film bends and flips reality in a way that creates moments where it’s difficult to know if you’re in the present, the past, or a fictional television show.
I Saw the TV Glow works as a queer allegory for feelings of repression, depression, and making the choice to do something about it or not. Our lead actors play their characters as if their feelings about themselves and the world are ready to burst like a cracked dam. In between the moments of pain and ugliness, the characters have to make a choice to escape or wallow. These wonderful performances are supplemented with captivating cinematography and sound design, and pleasantly surprising cameos from stars of ‘90s yesteryear. Director Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) does an impressive job of balancing the real and surreal in a way that’s equally endearing and off-putting.
Even with glowing positivity about the film (pun intended), I Saw the TV Glow may be difficult to engage with on one viewing alone. You find yourself getting into the habit of questioning one thing and then something else splinters in your brain. The ending can seem a bit confounding too but, after reflecting on the events of the film, the audience should find it truly terrifying.
In my initial reaction, I wrote I Saw the TV Glow could become a cult classic because I don’t know if larger, mass audiences would be attracted to queer & trans stories. But this sentiment should register deeply with people. Ultimately, the film asks of our characters, do you have the strength to become the person you want to be? That’s a question that should haunt everyone.
I Saw the TV Glow is now playing in theaters.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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