Movie: I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Production Companies: Fruit Tree, Smudge Films, Hypnic Jerk, Access Entertainment
Distributed by: A24
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Starring: Justice Smith & Brigette Lundy-Paine
Review by: Stefano Todaro

Now is as good a time as ever to remember that horror movies don’t need to be scary to be classified as horror. I Saw the TV Glow is certainly not the most terrifying movie of the decade, but it might be the best horror movie of the decade. Although we’re only four and a half years into our current decade, Jane Schoenbrun’s film has made more of an impact on me than nearly any other film of the 2020s.

Schoenbrun’s debut, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, found so much success because of its low-budget eeriness and relatable internet culture themes, and where that film succeeded, I Saw the TV Glow was able to shine even further. Yes, the budget was higher and the story is now interested in the world of late 90s/early 2000s TV shows, but Schoenbrun has once again created something that was meant to see its audience in ways many other films can’t. And at its core, that’s what makes I Saw the TV Glow so beautiful.

Not once does I Saw the TV Glow directly tell you what it wants to be about, but instead its inner workings are mesmerizingly relayed to us through the screen, as if we were Owen and Maddy obsessing over “The Pink Opaque”. The effect of the film eventually hits you like a ton of bricks, and there isn’t one specific moment where this is obvious. By the time I was overcome with emotion, the audience member to my right had already experienced these same feelings 20 minutes earlier. While there are countless feelings or thoughts you can take away from this film, what I Saw the TV Glow cares about most is seeing those people who struggle with being seen or heard, whether because they’re afraid of being themselves, or because they haven’t figured out who they are yet.

All of this is told through the eyes of Owen and Maddy, two classmates who eventually bond over their passion for a TV show called “The Pink Opaque”. “The Pink Opaque” brings us back to the young adult TV networks and shows of the mid-90s through the early 2000s. There’s a lot to be nostalgic about here, even for those people who didn’t grow up during the rise of similar shows. But being nostalgic and realizing those old shows aren’t as good as they used to be isn’t the point here. Instead, Schoenbrun uses those elements to tell their story and relay their message in the most personal way possible.

I Saw the TV Glow takes you places you never thought you’d go as reality becomes fuzzy, time passes, and mysteries unfold. The visuals are horrifying at times and hilarious at times, but everything is done with a purpose. It’s clear that Schoenbrun was able to get this made without needing to compromise on their vision; we should be grateful that they now have larger budgets to work with. It’s edited beautifully and is so perfectly accompanied by a sensational soundtrack (with songs from Sloppy Jane, yeule, and more) and score (produced by Alex G).

Justice Smith, who plays Owen, and Brigette Lundy-Paine, who plays Maddy, give remarkable performances. Both Smith and Lundy-Paine masterfully own their material and lines, and Smith’s impressive physical performance and transformation makes the acting, script, and visuals work beautifully together. It takes a lot to make characters truly feel like they belong in their setting, and Smith and Lundy-Paine make it undeniable that they belong in Schoenbrun’s world.

Was I Saw the TV Glow made for everybody? No. Should everybody see it? Yes. It’s a film that hasn’t left my mind since I’ve seen it. It has latched on to me and won’t let go. It’s one of those movies that makes me happy that movies exist, and to take that even further, it’s proof that there are still filmmakers who care deeply about their work.

9.7/10

Written by: Stefano Todaro