‘I Saw the TV Glow’ Review — Jane Schoenbrun’s Film Is a Stunning Vision

The big picture

• I saw the glow of the television
  is a fascinating and unconventional film that demands to be picked out and explored.
• The film combines horror, nostalgia and larger themes of transition, creating a unique and thought-provoking story.
• The cast is strangely assembled, but surprisingly effective, with standout performances that add to the film's captivating atmosphere.

This review was originally part of our coverage of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

In his 2021 film We're all going to the World's Fairwriter-director Jane Schoenbrun told a creepypasta story about online communities, the ability to be whatever you want behind a computer and find a way to be a part of something, even if it might lead to a tragic end. We're all going to the World's Fair I thought it was a film about finding yourself and the comfort that finding others like us can give us. But with its second characteristic, I saw the glow of the televisionSchoenbrun takes a completely different approach, creating a story in which we see how a character knows who he is and begins to question his reality, slowly losing himself and his identity, wasting away in uncertainty. I saw the glow of the television it's bold, carefree, extremely unusual and also a little gorgeous—a bold step forward for Schoenbrun as a filmmaker, and a film that will no doubt divide audiences who don't know what the hell to make of it.

What is “I saw the glow of television” about?

I saw the glow of the television follow Owen (Ian Foreman), which is featured on a TV show called The pink opaque—a 1990s amalgamation of various Nickelodeon shows and Buffy the Vampire Slayer– by Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), whose only interest seems to be the show. Two years later, Owen (now played by Judge Smith) has become equally obsessed Opaque Pinkthanks to the recorded VHS tapes Maddy has left for him at school. For both Owen and Maddy, their interest in this strange monster-of-the-week series becomes more than just a spectacle, but rather a story that completely alters their perspective and who they are..

Without spoiling the crazy but assured vision that Schoenbrun has created, I saw the glow of the television it's like a combination of David Lynch i David Cronenbergimbued with Are you afraid of the dark? i The Adventures of Pete and Pete, but all through Schoenbrun's specific style. Since this is an A24 film, it's hard not to think of other daring films that border on horror, like last year's. Beau is scared, which are almost unbelievable in their ambition and concepts. However, despite these influences and inspirations, I saw the glow of the television it always clearly feels like a natural progression for Schoenbrun We're all going to the World's Fair.

Schoenbrun assembles an unlikely collection of actors who strangely go well together. Smith is asked to push himself in ways we've never seen from him before, in a role that spans years of his life and his evolution from a child to an adult who's less sure which it's your reality. Especially in the final moments of the film, Smith does an excellent job of making us care about this uncertain character, even when he's fully accepting the strangeness of this story. Equally great is Lundy-Paine as Maddy, who encapsulates the power that this Opaque Pink has in this duet, while expanding the mysteries of this story.

'I Saw the TV Glow' has a spectacular cast

Smith and Lundy-Paine are the key I saw the glow of the television, exploring both the impact that nostalgia, entertainment, and media attachment can have on a person, but also, how the film uses all of that for these characters to come to a deep understanding of themselves and whose are they Lundy-Paine's Maddy looks at the Opaque Rose almost as if nothing else in the world matters, and she succumbs almost completely to his obsession in unsettling and disturbing ways. But it's Smith as Owen who shows the lingering damage the revelation of this show has had on him. Smith plays Owen as never comfortable in his own skin, as if something is always wrong: an impostor in his own body. How I saw the glow of the television becomes more surreal and uncomfortable, this is especially true for Owen, who undergoes the greatest evolution of all. Especially in the last few minutes of the film, Smith's performance is amazing, and it leads to a conclusion that is truly unsettling, as he only becomes even more uncertain of who he is, inside and out.

But this extended cast is full of performances that don't seem like they should go together, but somehow do. For example, Owen's parents are played by Until's Danielle Deadwyler and the leader of Limp Bizkit Fred Durst. Deadwyler shows a compassion for his son that he lacks elsewhere in his life, while Durst has a quiet intimidation that makes him an unsettling presence.. I saw the glow of the television he has plenty more to do elsewhere, including at Snail Mail Lindsey Jordan giving his debut performance and another fun twist Conner O'Malleybut it all works together in a surprisingly effective way.

“I Saw the TV Glow” is ambitious and personal

Before the premiere of I saw the glow of the television at the Sundance Film Festival, Schoenbrun talked about how they started writing the film shortly after she started taking hormones, and the darkness of that period and the kind of burying a version of yourself before you can become something else fully report this story. From this perspective, I saw the glow of the television is a tremendous metaphor for that experiencewith Schoenbrun trying to make the audience feel the jarring impact of this period rather than telling a more straightforward narrative.

The often awkward sound design, with music that can go from familiar and beautiful to shocking, and the outstanding cinematography of Eric K. Yue (One thousand and one) they all create an aural and visual experience that's more about how it makes you feel than what the story means.. Nevertheless, this is still a fascinating exploration of the way we can lose ourselves in entertainment, the way entertainment can change us, and why we have nostalgia for the things we grew up with, even when they may not live up to our lofty memories. Schoenbrun weaves all of this into a confusing but strangely relatable story.

Schoenbrun also perfectly captures that late 90s aesthetic and style, from Fruitopia machines in high school to brilliant recreations of what the shows of the time were and felt like.. By taking a look Opaque Pink, we see a dedication to bringing these shows to life, but also some truly wonderful experimentation from Schoenbrun, especially with the creatures we see. There's a horrifying presentation that almost makes you feel like these characters couldn't have been that terrifying on TV, but time has remembered them as something even more uncomfortable. A scene at the end of the film introduces the show's main villain, Mr. Melancholy, a moon-faced man who is almost like one GeorgeMéliès reference through Skinamarink.

while I saw the glow of the television is a film full of style, from its nostalgic look to its tremendous soundtrack, what has stuck with me in the months since its Sundance premiere is its tone. Schoenbrun has created a story about not just being an outsider, but about feeling like you're almost seeing the world from the wrong perspective. Even when the film is quieter and more unpretentious, there is a sense that this something it's not right, even if you and the characters in this movie don't know exactly what it is. Especially in the final moments, where Judge Smith's Owen doesn't know who he is or how his existence relates to those around him, I saw the glow of the television collides with something deep, provocative and borderline disturbing in its relation to feeling like an outsider in your own world. It's this tone that makes Schoenbrun's latest pack a punch.

with I saw the glow of the television, Schoenbrun has not done a coming-of-age story. They have made a history of disappearing. It's a film that demands to be picked out and explored. It's inventive and unconventional in a way that will perplex and compel in equal measure. Schoenbrun has made a film that will rightly be one of the most talked about of 2024, and for good reason, as it deserves all the discussion, impressions and views possible. In the same way that Opaque Pink, I saw the glow of the television it's a film that draws you to the screen and dares you to let go.

I saw the glow of the television is available to stream on VOD in the US starting June 14.

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