Jane Schoenbrun’s latest film, I Saw The TV Glow, is a queer-leaning science fiction/horror which has been dubbed a game-changer in American independent cinema. It is an instant cult classic which draws inspiration from various sources including David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and TV classic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The film explores the theme of otherness with an unparalleled creativity.
I Saw The TV Glow is the second part of Schoenbrun’s intended ‘Screen’ trilogy and follows on from their 2021 psychological horror, coming-of-age film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, which addresses gender identity issues. Schoenbrun, who goes by they/them pronouns, reportedly discovered they were trans while writing the script for World’s Fair during a mushroom trip.
Starring Justice Smith who is best known for his role in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as scream-king, Franklin Webb, I Saw The TV Glow tells the story of isolated youngster Owen who meets the older Maddy in the mid-1990s while still in high school. Their friendship develops when Maddy invites Owen over to watch an episode of a late-night TV show and starts taping episodes for him to watch later. However, things begin to take a strange turn when Maddy disappears, and the TV show is cancelled.
Eight years later and Owen, who is now working in a movie theatre, is surprised when Maddy returns and informs him that she had “disappeared” into the world of the TV show. Reality and fiction blur as Schoenbrun’s cunning script reads like an allegory of transition. During the film’s final third, Owen starts to merge into the fictional world of the TV show, and the Cronenberg references loom large.
The film is not derivative, and its pacing gives a deliberate slow-burn feel. Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine, who portrays Maddy, deliver exceptional performances that taps into themes such as nostalgia, how we consume media, and memory. Schoenbrun’s film is a fresh take on the genre, and its neon aesthetic is breathtaking.
I Saw The TV Glow began showing in cinemas in 2022 and is a must-see for those who enjoy the sci-fi/horror genre. When the TV show returns, near the end of the film, it feels all too familiar, especially the idea that what we grew up on lodges in our brains in a way that’s divorced from reality. Expect the film to leave you with a glowing impression.
Details
- Director: Jane Schoenbrun
- Starring: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Fred Durst
- Release details: In cinemas now
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