I SAW THE TV GLOW
Starring: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, and Danielle Deadwyler
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
ADRIANO
I Saw the TV Glow cements Jane Schoenbrun as one of our most exciting upcoming filmmakers. Between this and their last film, Schoenbrun shows that they have a keen talent for unique storytelling, especially in their approach to themes of queer identity and our attachment to media. Schoenbrun's use of the camera and colour is particularly fascinating here, as the film takes a radical turn halfway through to become a surreal and intense experience that I was locked in for. I can't say I understood everything, but I feel I'll be pondering I Saw the TV Glow for a while.
NICK
It's rare that I go into a film completely blind, but that's exactly how I approached I Saw the TV Glow. Never in a million years did I expect to see an homage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that is a running theme throughout. The film focuses on themes of sexuality, identity, and family trauma, all through the lens of a television program and the escape it offers. There is horror imagery, but this is much more of a psychological study, and for me, it is a welcome introduction to the direction of Jane Schoenbrun.
PAIGE
Similar to director Jane Schoenbrun’s previous film We’re All Going to the World's Fair, their newest release I Saw the TV Glow is a unique and moody slow burn that may not be for everyone, but is a film that allows outsiders to feel seen. With a captivating visual aesthetic, an amazing soundtrack, and hypnotizing themes of identity and escapism, Schoenbrun skillfully blurs the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Even though I didn't think the movie worked as a whole, I'm glad it was made, as it attempts to examine its themes in a surprisingly singular way.
CALEB
I Saw the TV Glow is a soul-stirring cautionary tale about the emptiness of self-repression. It’s a hallucinatory technicolor nightmare, brimming with style. Much like Director Jane Schoenbrun’s previous outing, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, TV Glow adeptly explores how media consumption is interlinked with adolescence and self-discovery. Through their emphasis on acoustic indie-rock and suburban liminality, Schoenbrun weaponizes nostalgia, showing just how quickly a fond memory can transform into a source of lifelong regret. TV Glow is a wholly unique psychological horror with impeccable direction, fantastic performances, and an ending that shook me to my core. Don’t miss this one.
AMARÚ
With its central television conceit being based on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, I Saw the TV Glow has a cool cameo I genuinely appreciated. That’s as complimentary as I'm going to get, especially after watching a scene featuring a black mother driving off before seeing her child enter a friend’s house, which immediately let me know I wasn’t here for this ride. It's not that the movie doesn’t have merit - there’s a profoundly powerful message about identity here - but its psychedelically chaotic execution is 100% not my speed. If I never hear the words “pink” and “opaque" said in succession again, I’ll be happier for it.
QUENTIN
Just because a movie is an esoteric metaphor for an important theme like gender identity doesn’t mean the movie is actually good, nor does being inaccessible and artsy automatically equate to “substance.” I also think there are people who will say they love a movie precisely because they didn’t get it. Like, “if I didn’t get it, it must be smart!”, because no one likes admitting they don’t understand something. I Saw the TV Glow is where those thoughts meet because, despite the positive buzz, this movie is a monotonous slog so far up its own self-serious ass that it forgets to engage the audience.
