Justice Smith

Brigette Lundy-Paine

Ian Foreman

Helena Howard

Lindsey Jordan

Danielle Deadwyler

Fred Durst

Conner O'Malley

Emma Portner

Madaline Riley

Amber Benson

Albert Birney

Michael C. Maronna

Danny Tamberelli

Timothy Allan

Tyler Dean Flores

Elizabeth Scopel

Marlyn Bandiero

Haley Dahl

Raina Block

Bailey Wollowitz

Lily Rothman

Phoebe Bridgers

Kris Esfandiari

Wilson Flores

Thommy Northcut

Julie Lodhy

Michael Twaine

Evangeline Johns

Elaine Apruzzese

Cynthia Clancy

Will Fitz

Ben Heineman

Julissa Piatt

Michelle Santiago

Kenneth Kyle Martinez

Jane Schoenbrun

Sam Intili

Heather Landsman

Alex G

Naomi Munro

Ray Cintron

Ella Thompson

Eric Yue

Paige Mitchell

Rachel Dainer-Best

Aaron Worman

Sofi Marshall

Brandon Tonner-Connolly

Jason Fink

Frances H Smith

John J. Budion

Francesca M. Caruso

Daniel Timmons

Jennifer DiLullo

Alex Solorzano

Jared Biunno

Manny Lemus

Norman Douglass

Daniel Cerone

Maggie Ambrose

Sun Roller

Heather Monetti

Ashley K. Thomas

Ricky Moson

John Seubert

Abigael Kurtz

Margaret Galvin

Greg Ronayne

Chris Cumberbatch

Angel Yolanda Antoinette Smith

Ashley Waldron

Aarif Attarwala

Zeren Londah

Mia Flanagan

Daniela Martella

Arjan Miranda

Zach Rubin

Corey Patrick

Maricela Nodar

Camille Cushman

Rashedia Rogers

Chris Navarro

Erica Ensminger

Brian Walsh

Luke Provenzano

Anurag Massey

Celeste Black

Chris Swanson

Abby Goyea

Paul Luzzi

Spencer Pazer

Devin Smith

Jessica Berndt

Kevin Kelly

Sarah Winshall

Emma Stone

Ali Herting

Dave McCary

Tim Korn

Elias ZX

Joseph Grundfast

Mila Matveeva

Janna Emig

Emma Warren

Adriana Alpizar

Elise Raven

Ed Gately

Aryian Thehammel

Rich Gilberto

Danny Cohen

Len Blavatnik

Taylor Shung

Ryan Coleman

Lucy Dacus

David Lowery

Julia Shirar

Chris White

Sachi Bahra

Curtis Henderson

Jasmin Savoy Brown

Nick Timmons

Daniel Patrick Carbone

Kyle Parsons

Shaun Brennan

Jourdain Searles

Leslie Bloome

Dustin Guy Defa

Angela Argese

Paige Melisande Lecomer

LaVar James

Patriciana Tenicela

Tim Shannon Jr.

Drama

Horror

I Saw the TV Glow

Fruit Tree

Smudge Films

Hypnic Jerk

Access Entertainment

United States of America

English

high school

friendship

loss of sense of reality

sexuality

identity

obsession

surrealism

asthma

sleepover

nostalgia

suburbia

coming of age

loneliness

arcade

tv show in film

guilt

lgbt

lgbt teen

nostalgic

planetarium

running away

gender dysphoria

existentialism

1990s

repression

escapism

subconscious

2000s

2010s

movie theater

independent film

body horror

teenager

liminal space

nonbinary director

audacious

Brent Marchant

After watching this piece of incoherent, unfocused rubbish, I would have much rather watched the TV glow instead. Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s incomprehensible smart horror offering is an absolute utter waste of time, not to mention the ticket price. This glacially paced story of two psychologically and emotionally troubled teens, Owen (Ian Forema) and Maddy (Brigitte Lundy-Paine), who bond over a cheesy late night 1990s young adult sci-fi/horror television series called The Pink Opaque struggles mightily to find its way. As Owen grows into an adult (Justice Smith), his cohort vanishes mysteriously when the TV series is abruptly cancelled, leaving him wondering what happened to her until she just as mysteriously reappears years later with a disjointed story that makes no sense from top to bottom. As the film’s narrator, Owen tries earnestly to explain, but his recounting of this experience is equally baffling, especially when he tells why Maddy has come back after her protracted absence. The result is an unintelligible tale that’s far from frightening (even metaphorically speaking) and ends up being a convoluted mix of 1990s teen angst, extended and inexplicably incorporated music videos, an exploration of sexual ambiguity, and a woefully wayward attempt at symbolically addressing issues related to personal disassociation and self-actualization. There are also numerous story elements and images that are included in the narrative that go undeveloped and unexplored. To its credit, the picture features a fine production design, intriguing cinematography, a good measure of campy comic relief (though not nearly enough of it) and a skillfully assembled soundtrack (handily this release’s best attribute). However, when a film’s musical guests receive greater billing than its cast members and the soundtrack ends up being its strongest asset, that doesn’t speak well about the production’s overall quality. To be honest, I get genuinely annoyed (and feel egregiously ripped off) when I leave the theater having screened a picture whose trailer and marketing seem to offer so much promise and end up failing miserably when it comes to delivering the goods, and that’s very much the case with this pretentious, sophomoric cinematic train wreck. Don’t waste your time or money on this one.

I was disappointed in the flow of the story in 'I Saw The TV Glow'. Despite this, the melancholy feel of the film is beautifully conveyed throughout, enhancing its themes effectively. The visuals are stunning, and the combination of top-tier editing and visual effects elevates the cinematography to an exceptional level.

The film’s melancholic atmosphere is one of its strongest points. This pervasive mood adds depth to the narrative, making the emotional and thematic content more impactful. For example, scenes depicting the isolation and struggles of the characters are visually striking, with a muted color palette and hauntingly beautiful landscapes that mirror their inner turmoil. The layered storytelling warrants another viewing to fully appreciate the intricate details and symbolism woven into the film.

The film also provides a profound look into the LGBTQIA+ community, offering perspectives that encourage empathy and understanding. After watching it, I felt compelled to have an open conversation with my sons about the importance of being able to talk openly about anything, assuring them of our unwavering support. This horror movie effectively portrays the harsh realities that no person should have to endure, making its social commentary both relevant and poignant.

The direction and performances were lackluster. Their portrayals are emotionally charged and authentic, bringing a raw intensity to their characters. 

While Ian Foreman and Brigette Lundy-Paine deliver memorable performances, the supporting cast falls short. Justice Smith’s character, Owen, is particularly underwhelming. His character lacks depth and is only marginally more interesting in scenes with Lundy-Paine. The supporting characters are mostly forgettable, which diminishes the film's overall impact.

The TV show set within the film, The Pink Opaque, and its antagonist, as well as the overall antagonist of the film, are clearly meant to be metaphorical. However, the vague nature of these elements, while potentially serving as a good analogy, ultimately hurts the story by leaving too many questions unanswered. A bit more backstory and clarity would have enriched the narrative and provided a stronger connection to the metaphorical themes.

I Saw The TV Glow is a film with commendable visual and thematic depth but falters in its storytelling execution. The melancholy atmosphere, stunning visuals, and strong lead performances are highlights. The film is worth watching for its social commentary and emotional resonance, but it falls short of being a fully engaging cinematic experience.

Necessity and Style, lacking Substance

‘I Saw the TV Glow’ offers an important message that is evidently hitting the hearts of the people who need to hear it, and the beautiful visuals bath it in emotional colour.
It would have been served with more depth, detail, and structure, but it does what it set out to do. If it doesn’t hit for you, you’re probably not the intended audience.

CinemaSerf

Told using a verity of storytelling techniques, this is a curious film that certainly has a potent point to make but somehow it just can't get there. It's all about the relationship between two folks on the periphery of society. "Owen" (Ian Foreman then Justice Smith) lives with his parents whilst "Maddy" (Brigette Lundy-Paine) abides with her indifferent mother. She's a few years older than he, and they initially bond over a television show called "Pink Opaque" that she has been watching for a few seasons, but it's on past his 10.15 bedtime. She makes it pretty clear that her sexual interests lie elsewhere but he, not remotely bothered, just wants to see the show. A sleepover starts the ball rolling on their enigmatic friendship that invites us to consider a range of issues surrounding sexual and gender identity, fluidity and the sometimes quite traumatic effects these can have on people emotionally and psychologically ill-equipped to deal with at a young age. The use of the television series is quite an effective conduit for the theme as it uses the super-natural to instil both an element of fear and an element of the ridiculous - especially the ice cream man and the totally non-menacing "Mr. Malevolent" whose purposes and dynamic evolve as the characters do throughout the narrative. Suddenly, she goes AWOL for ten years then returns to his life with questions to ask and to answer, but is she still the same person and are either of them any more at ease with whom they truly are? It has brief moments to lighten the mood, but for the most part it's quite an intense and slowly paced look at two characters that I just didn't feel I knew. I suspect this may resonate intensely with people dealing with gender identification complexities, but for the rest of us it pointed us in the right direction but then more or less abandons us to infill too much of the personalities of "Owen" and "Maddy" to fit our own expectations or aspirations for them. It's as if auteur Jane Schoenbrun has given us the edge of the jigsaw puzzle and left us to do the rest - without there necessarily being a right way to do it. It also has one or two goes at bringing things to a conclusion - or as much of one as we are to actually have, and that didn't really work for me. I didn't need "the end", but what we did get was a bit frail. It is an intriguing piece of cinema at times, but for me it lost it's way.

I Saw the TV Glow( 2024)

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A review by Brent Marchant

Written by Brent Marchant on Sat May 11 2024

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