It’s time for one of my favorite categories of reviews. WHITE STRAIGHT CIS MALE REVIEWS MOVIE NOT DESIGNED TOWARDS HIM! 

I kid, but it’s kinda true. This was designed to speak to those with particular life experience and identity dilemmas that I don’t possess. I think? This better not awaken anything in me. 

I Saw the TV Glow is the sophomoric outing for director Jane Schoenbrun, following their 2021’s coming of age horror film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. This was a film that when I first started watching, I didn’t really think I was gonna gel with. Yet it won me over as it went on, effectively capturing adolescent loneliness and rabbit hole internet culture in a way that really struck a chord with me. Their abstract, haunting style made me incredibly anticipative of their next film, which got scooped up by A24 for distribution.

Set in 90s middle-America, I Saw the TV Glow follows socially isolated teen Owen in his journey of self-discovery. He befriends an older highschooler named Maddy who introduces him to the Pink Opaque, a monster of the week young adult show where two girls are connected psychically. Owen becomes infatuated in the show, but when Maddy disappears only to reappear ten years later, Owen is left questioning his memories and who he really is underneath his exterior.

I’m going to be upfront with you; a lot of people are not going to like this. Its abstract, otherworldly veneer can make it difficult to understand and may leave viewers dissatisfied with its lack of groundedness. On the flipside, if you are willing to look a little bit deeper, you’ll find a chillingly moving construct of transgenderism, identity crisis, and the crushing weight of conformity. Not to mention a visually gorgeous mixture of suburban living and glow in the dark neons that make this one of the most aesthetically rich horror films I’ve seen in a long time. So where do I, the aforementioned white straight cis male fall? Well, somewhat in the middle, more so leaning towards the latter camp. It’s as provocative as it is confounding, but after sitting with it for a few days I can certainly say this is an incredibly important piece of film right here, even if it didn’t completely leave me head over heels with it.

Firstly, I want to say that Justice Smith absolutely fucking kills this. His performance as the quiet, confused Owen is genuinely harrowing. This is not an easy role to play, yet what Smith does with both wonder, self-doubt and total anguish is incredibly compelling. Unsure of who he is due to his inward nature and the pressures of gender normality, Owen finds himself pulled between two worlds; the “real world” and the world of the Pink Opaque. This is facilitated by Maddy, played by Brigette Lundy-Paine, another outcast who also struggles with embodying her true self due to a family and world that doesn’t understand her. Both share a similar fascination with the show, at first seeming like harmless fanaticism. Yet, Maddy is convinced that not only is the show real, but that she and Owen are the main characters Tara and Isabel. This leads Owen to question everything, as in a normal world, Maddy sounds absolutely crazy. Yet his memories begin to tell a different story of repression, which leads him to fear and doubt Maddy’s words. 

This is where I feel kind of conflicted in how to read this film. Maddy can be seen as the one who broke free of the Matrix, sort of speaking. She destroyed her former identity and found a way to accept her new being as Tara, entering the world of the Pink Opaque, which she professes is the true world. Yet, because of the dreamlike and metaphysical presentation of the film, one could potentially see Maddy as untrustworthy. Maybe her beliefs are being imposed on Owen, someone who could be seen as impressionable and vulnerable. I don’t really think this is the case, given that this is a very obvious trans allegory from a trans director, but I can see where some people may get this idea. 

Compared to another trans allegory film, The Matrix, it isn’t always as black and white with its depictions of what is real and what isn’t. This makes it way more impressionistic, for better or for worse. Maddy may sound crazy to someone on the outside looking in, but for those watching who have felt similar feelings of living a double life and bottling the person you know you are deep down, I think you’re going to feel very much seen. And this doesn’t exclusively mean trans folk, it could speak to other similarly suppressed groups like the LGBTQ community, or even someone who simply wants to be something else beyond the constructs imposed by their family, community or society. There’s a moment where Owen’s dad Frank emotionally trivialized his interest in the Pink Opaque with a simple “Isn’t that show for girls?”. I fucking felt that, and I’m sure in some ways you might too. Also, the dad is played by Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst, which is just genius casting knowing the kind of audience his music has amassed over the years.

What cannot be disputed is the visual beauty of this film. The way colors are utilized so vibrantly is so alluring, mesmerizing, and at times, haunting. From hot pinks to cool blues, this film radiates a bygone era of glow in the dark chalk and tv static. This is one of the best replications of the 90s aesthetics I’ve seen, and nowhere is that more apparent than the Pink Opaque show. A callback to programs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Are You Afraid of the Dark, everything from the creature designs to the teen melodrama is expertly recreated. Even though the film pulls a lot of dread from small town suburbia, there’s still an undeniable nostalgia to its cineplexes and dial controlled televisions. But one person’s nostalgia is another person’s nightmare, and there’s plenty of nightmare fuel to be found here. While not presenting as a traditional, upfront horror film, there are still plenty of scenes that are genuinely unnerving and even difficult to watch. Similarly to World’s Fair, the use of horror here is unique and goes beyond a simple intention to shock. It tears at you emotionally, realizing trauma and suffering in an empathizing and effective way. The big one for me was a scene involving a head going through a TV. It made me want to vomit, but not in the visually grotesque way you might be thinking.

Like I said before, this was not a film I absolutely adored like I wanted to. Sometimes the writing can feel a bit inhuman and the concept may sometimes feel scatterbrained and may not completely come together in an overall satisfying way. Yet I don’t think there is a film I’ve seen so far this year where immediately after this first viewing made me think: “I need to see this again.”. I Saw the TV Glow is one of the most unique films of 2024, crafting a hyper-stylized, hyper interesting journey of self-discovery with a fresh new voice driving it forward. It’s easy to get lost in the dreamy, off-putting nightmare world presented, even if you don’t fully connect with what you’re seeing, similarly to a film like House or several Lynch and Cronenberg films. But to say it lacks complete coherence would be a fool’s errand, as beneath the weirdness and the eccentricities is a deeply personal story told at perhaps the most pivotal times. Expectations absolutely should be tempered if you aren’t used to art house or surrealism, but for those looking for an experience truly singular, take the dive and immerse yourself in something truly special.

RATING

THE PINK OPAQUE

The Pink Opaque. Is it real? Is it just a show. I’m not informed enough to be dealing out that kind of information, but I do know one thing…it’s a drink. Meant to evoke childhood summers, this refreshing cocktail uses a blend of watermelon and pink lemonade to create a sweet, nostalgic drink. In a world where you can question anything, let me take the load off with an unquestionably simple and light concoction. Good luck finding something like this at the lemonade stand.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5oz Ketel One Peach and Orange Blossom vodka
• 1oz pink lemonade
• 1/2oz watermelon schnapps
• 1/4oz lemon juice
• Top: Sparkling water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into chilled champagne flute.
3. Top with sparkling water.