I Saw The TV Glow is a surrealistic horror drama that sees the reality of Owen (Justice Smith) start to blend together with a television show called The Pink Opaque. He befriends Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) who embodies the dissolve between their favorite show and their real lives. Jane Schoenbrun who previously created We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, creates a mystical world shot and scored beautifully and anchored by phenomenal lead performances.
From a technical perspective, this is one of the best-looking movies of the year. Shot on 35mm film, TV Glow perfectly captures the nostalgia of VHS quality and 90’s aesthetic. One of the major themes of this movie is nostalgia and how we look back at a period of time differently than how we saw those times back then. I found myself so entranced with every scene and every shot. Scenes of Owen walking in backyards and down hallways are just so incredibly framed and shot.
The editing is also remarkable. Like I said earlier, the aesthetic is extremely nostalgic thanks to how it was filmed. The editing was on par with balancing the more fantastical elements of the movie. I loved the color usage and how the vibrant light would break up what was otherwise a dim movie. The soundtrack of this movie is perfect for the tone and I will be listening to it on repeat.
The leads of this movie were incredible. Justice Smith is wonderful at adapting to any sort of character. One of his strengths is playing a shy character who feels uncomfortable in his own skin. He was perfect for a role like this for more than one reason. One of the major themes of this movie is identity, specifically with transgender people. He feels trapped in his own body, where the only times he is himself, he is watching his show, seeing himself as the character Isabel. He feels as if his life is not his own and his thoughts are not his own.
Bridgit Lundy-Paine plays the older Maddy. She is more experienced and has stronger views of who she is in this world. She introduces Owen to The Pink Opaque and is the one who guides him through the reality that the show is true life. She gives a tremendous monologue about how she discovered the truth and had to bury herself so she could be reborn in the show.
That scene is what established the dynamic in my mind. With Owen, he bailed on Maddy to leave town and he bailed on her when she offered to bury him so he can see what she does. Because of this, he never accepts himself as who he should be and remains trapped in his body. The ending cements this as his body breaks down while no one else appears to have aged. He is in agony and tries to rip his stomach open and is only at peace once he sees the light glowing out of him.
Director Schoenbrun calls this a film about the “egg crack”. They describe it as the moment a person realizes they are trans. They said in the production notes “It’s about hiding from this thing inside you for half your life, and then the dual horror and catharsis of finally letting those walls down and seeing it for the first time, and being left with this sort of double-edged sword of two bad options: to put your authentic self you’ve been hiding from back inside and just pretend like you never saw it and go on half living half a life, or face the unknown, which will almost certainly mean complete social death, essentially the end of reality as you know it.”
I am a straight man so I don’t feel it’s my place to talk about what that experience is like. I implore you to read the reviews from people who would understand, like this one or this one. This is in no way saying you can’t understand the themes if you’re straight, but I just can’t touch on how much a movie like this means to people.
Final Thoughts
I Saw The TV Glow is truly an incredible watch that deserves to be seen by all and rewatched frequently. The themes are heavy but are treated with tremendous care and precision. The aesthetic of the movie is incredible and our two leads give what could be career-best performances. Please give I Saw The TV Glow a watch.
4.5/5
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I’ve always been a movie fan, but I first got big into cinema watching Whiplash when I was younger. That movie led to a greater appreciation of films and got me to dive into the medium. My favorite genre is horror movies, but I’ll always have a secret soft spot for rom coms and musicals. When I’m not podcasting or watching movies, I love working out and going hiking, and I currently work in business analytics with the degree I got from Western New England University.
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MY FAVORITE MOVIES:
Good Will Hunting
Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse
Whiplash
Moneyball
Top Gun: Maverick