Two teenagers bond over their love of a supernatural TV show, but it is mysteriously canceled.
After several days, I am still trying to wrap my head around Jane Schoenbrun’s latest feature, I Saw the TV Glow. It is unlike anything that I have seen before in the coming-of-age drama and it will certainly not be for everyone. It has a unique arthouse horror aesthetic, that will turn off many audience members. I am usually turned off by this aesthetic, but this was not the case for I Saw the TV Glow. I found myself awoken by this film as it perfectly portrays how terrifying it is to grow up and the struggles of figuring out who you are while life is moving too quickly.
We follow Owen (Justice Smith) as he becomes infatuated with the TV show, The Pink Opaque, through his new friend Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). As the years go by, Owen struggles with reality and his identity as the audience is plunged into a coming-of-age nightmare. The film offers a refreshingly honest portrayal of growing up as coming-of-age is a melancholy-laced fever dream. From the obsession with belonging to using fandom as a coping mechanism to escape, I Saw the TV Glow vividly captures the struggles of adolescence. The film acknowledges the awkwardness, agony, and trauma of youth through stunning, yet terrifying, acidic-laced visuals Coupled with a killer 90s soundtrack, it will make an experience that you won’t forget, for better or worse.
Each performance in I Saw the TV Glow is monotone and wooden, which will turn away many audience members. Typically these performances turn me away, but here it is not the case. I found myself fascinated with these performances from Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine. The pair has a unique awkward chemistry that perfectly captures the struggles of friendship and adolescence. Smith is particularly interesting here. Even though he does need to break away from these types of characters, his performance shines as he layers years of trauma and identity into this performance. His struggle to accept who he is or just to keep his head down and go with the flow, is fascinating, albeit, not for everyone. While Lundy-Paine equally gives a unique performance as they perfectly capture the emo persona. While also layering self-acceptance into their monotone performance.
Overall, I Saw the TV Glow, is not going to be for everyone. Its unconventional storytelling and performances will turn off many audience members. However, if you are a fan of this kind of genre, then this movie is for you. Or if you are looking for an introduction to arthouse horror, then this might be perfect for you. Ultimately it all comes down to how much weird and unconventional horror you can take.
My Rating: B+
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