A haunting tale of repression

On the surface, I Saw the TV Glow is about two teenage loners who bond over a cheesy ’90s television show. The story begins in 1996, when socially awkward seventh grader Owen (Justice Smith) first meets self-assured ninth grader Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine).

There’s nothing romantic between them – she’s gay and he doesn’t seem particularly interested in girls anyway. But the two quickly develop a close friendship.

Owen breaks the fourth wall and addresses us directly at several points throughout the film. He’s so shy that he rarely looks directly into the camera, as if he’s frightened to meet our gaze. Owen is also an unreliable narrator. Sometimes he tells us what he thinks we want to hear, rather than what is actually happening.

The Pink Opaque

Maddy shows Owen her favorite television series, The Pink Opaque. I Saw the TV Glow does a great job simulating the look and atmosphere of campy ’90s shows, like Power Rangers and its ilk. It gets all the details correct, including the grainy picture, cartoonish characters, and cheesy soundtrack.

As a ’90s kid, I loved this aspect of the movie. I was a teenager at the same time as Owen and Maddy. I probably wouldn’t have watched The Pink Opaque — I was more of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kid — but still, the movie’s fictional TV series gave me a nice dose of nostalgia.

The Pink Opaque chronicles the exploits of two magical young women who fight outlandish villains. Owen quickly becomes obsessed. He is unable to watch it live (it’s past his bedtime) so Maddy sneaks him VHS tapes of the latest episodes. Maddy remarks that The Pink Opaque feels more real than life, a statement that feels prescient by the end of the film.

Two years later, The Pink Opaque gets canceled and Maddy vanishes. Her TV is found burning in her backyard. Owen, deprived of his only friend, trudges through a moribund existence. His father, who is played by Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst of all people, taunts him for being obsessed with a feminine TV show.

Eight years later, Owen is stunned to encounter Maddy at a grocery store. When he asks where she’s been, Maddy tells him a stunning tale that defies belief. She then offers Owen a tantalizing but terrifying choice that could change his life forever.

The Courage to Embrace One’s True Identity

I Saw the TV Glow is ultimately about identity. Maddy embraces who she is regardless of what society, her school, or anyone else thinks of her. Can Owen, who is implied to be trans, muster the courage to do the same?

The film depicts, in stark terms, the contrast between living a life that’s true to yourself or suffocating in misery because you succumb to societal pressure to conform.

I Saw the TV Glow will probably resonate most with LGBT people, but the broad themes of overcoming repression and embracing oneself are universally relatable. Anyone who has struggled with an identity crisis of any sort, i.e. all of us, can identify with its themes.

A Colorful but Melancholy Journey

The film is directed by Jane Schoenbrun, who also helmed the equally strange and creepy We’re All Going to The World’s Fair. That film, which made my list of the top horror movies of 2022, also has themes related to gender dysphoria.

I Saw the TV Glow is slow-paced and subdued, but it’s always interesting to look at. Schoenbrun uses neon colors and dark background lighting to give her film an eerie atmosphere.

The passionate performances of Smith and Lundy-Paine also add to the movie’s effectiveness. Smith is great at playing a boring loner, and I mean that as a compliment! Lundy-Paine is memorable as Owen’s gutsier, more confident counterpart.

Rating

It’s weird, slow, and definitely won’t appeal to everyone, but I Saw The TV Glow’s compelling themes and unique visual aesthetic make it one of the most intriguing horror films of 2024.

Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 8