I Saw the TV Glow review.
A meditation on the struggle to find one’s identity in a patient, stylish package.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
I Saw the TV Glow
Directed by Jane Schoenbrun
Written by Jane Schoenbrun
Starring Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Fred Durst and Danielle Deadwyler
I Saw the TV Glow Review
Much of the discussion surrounding I Saw the TV Glow will center around what it all means. The truth is that it’s going to mean different things to different people. Not a very sophisticated observation, I know. But it is the thing that I took away from Jane Schoenbrun’s (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) latest film. Like World’s Fair, there is a lot of patience required in I Saw the TV Glow. Call it hypnotic…call it meditative…call it flat out slow…Schoenbrun is nothing if not a patient storyteller.
The plot involves a couple of awkward teens who bond over a tv show called The Pink Opaque. A Buffy the Vampire Slayer type supernatural teen show with layers of depth that defy its placement on a youth centric network. Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) is obsessed with it. More than obsessed…it feels like a part of her. Something she connects to more than anything in her real life. Owen (Justice Smith) is desperate to find anything to connect to at all. She introduces him to the show that will become his favorite.
Life is a constant struggle for both Maddy and Owen. They both mention problems at home…but the real issue is what’s going on inside. There’s “something wrong” with Owen, he confesses. He feels empty inside. Maddy equally admits that The Pink Opaque is more real to her than anything in her life. She’s desperate to run away. The destination doesn’t matter so much. She knows that she will die if she stays where she is. Owen lacks the courage to leave. A problem that doesn’t improve when Maddy vanishes, and The Pink Opaque is cancelled.
It’s an intriguing setup. It also takes a long time to reach. If you aren’t invested in the style and performances in I Saw the TV Glow…there is a good chance that you will fall firmly on the “boring” side of the ledger. Schoenbrun’s slow drip of plot requires the attempt at hypnosis to work. If you aren’t lulled by its rhythm…it’s a tough sell. If you are…I Saw the TV Glow will feel like a stunningly personal and riveting achievement.
The discussion that the movie delves into after Maddy surprisingly resurfaces years later is a fascinating one. How it ties into The Pink Opaque is ingenious. A story of outsiders becomes a story of others. The awkwardness of teen angst becomes the pain of living without knowing who you really are. Lundy-Paine gives a showstopping monologue about her truth while Smith perfectly plays his fears and doubts in a naturally realistic and emotional way. He’s still afraid. Afraid of what’s inside him…afraid to change anything about a life he doesn’t even enjoy living. She discovers a secret that is equal parts hard to believe…and makes perfect sense.
The turn the movie takes after Maddy’s return is the most interesting piece of I Saw the TV Glow. It’s one of the most interesting pieces of any movie in recent memory. It’s a brilliant way to dramatize the themes that Schoenbrun is presenting. Eye-opening, chilling, and mind-expanding. How the story deals with the fallout of that turn is another thing that is best judged by the eye of the beholder. It’s full of knowing warnings. The true horror of the story becomes something more personal and emotional than expected.
Maddy warns Owen that the years will begin to tick by in a flash…that time stops making sense as it speeds you towards a place you don’t want to be. Something that should connect to any viewer of a certain age regardless of their place in the world and whether they’ve found the right one for them. It’s moments like this that make I Saw the TV Glow a story that works for everyone…but one that everyone will connect with in different ways. There are some deep meanings in the story and visuals. Not everyone will see them. Not everyone will care. You’re meant to connect with the ones that fit you. But all are welcome.
The elephant in the room in I Saw the TV Glow is the pacing. It worked for me completely. Like We’re All Going to the World’s Fair before it…this is a movie that uses its deliberate pace with purpose. If you get hypnotized by it…this will be one of your favorite movies of the year. If you don’t…it’s going to be a rough watch no matter how strong the performances and story are. And they are quite strong.
Scare Value
There’s no denying that the confident I Saw the TV Glow is a good movie. What is up for interpretation is how strongly each viewer will connect to the material. Many people will be moved by its story. Just as many will be turned off by the patience required to reach the end of it. I Saw the TV Glow will speak loudly to some…and too slowly to others. But it is never less than interesting. At it’s best…it’s unforgettable.
4/5
I Saw the TV Glow Link
In theaters – Fandango
