JETHRO! What are you doing?!
Oh, hi Vance. I got lost in the moment.
Obviously. What is this film you’re reviewing?
It’s called I Saw the TV Glow, which ran in theaters a few months ago, but I only saw last night on Amazon Prime. This is the latest film from writer/director Jane Schoenbrun. Sit back and let me tell you a sequential tale.
Go on.
One night in 1996, Owen (Ian Foreman), a shy middle-schooler, finds upperclassman Maddy (Brigitte Lundy-Paine) reading up on the hit TV show The Pink Opaque. The show follows two girls, Isabel & Tara (Helena Howard & Lindsey Jordan) as they battle “Big Bad” Mr. Melancholy (Emma Portner) and his monsters-of-the-week. Owen is intrigued by the show, while his parents Frank & Brenda (Fred Durst & Danielle Deadwyler) don’t see what the fuss is about. All it takes is for one impromptu sleepover at Maddy’s place and he’s hooked.
Over the next two years, Owen (now Justice Smith) avidly watches the show on VHS tapes made for him by Maddy. The show is suddenly canceled that fall, just as Maddy runs away and Brenda dies of cancer. Over the next eight years, Owen leads a monotonous life, until Maddy reappears, firmly believing that they are actually Isabel and Tara. Has she been watching too much TV, or is there some truth to her claims?
This is a horror film all about existential dread. The scariest thing about it isn't the monsters, gruesome as they are, but the prospect of living a lonely life. We see Owen living that life as the years go on. He finds it hard to connect to people, while the one person he did connect to heads off to pursue a "fantasy." That existential dread actually amplifies the surreality of it all, especially after he watches The Pink Opaque's final episode. In the last scene, Owen suffers a breakdown which nobody notices, before things get especially strange. How can you not empathize with Owen after all is said and done?
It's more enjoyable to see Owen and Maddy initially bond over The Pink Opaque. She doesn't see any issue in introducing him to her favorite show; instead, she easily lends him her episode guide. It's quite admirable to see them become friends that quickly. Lundy-Paine gets some standout acting moments as Maddy's "stability" deteriorates. At one point, an episode of The Pink Opaque suddenly moves her to tears; at another, she gives a disturbing monologue about her trying to relive the show's last episode. That involves her being buried alive, and she even pitches Owen the idea of joining her. If I haven't made myself clear, Maddy is an especially compelling deuterogamist.
Perhaps the only comic relief comes later on, when Owen revisits the show and realizes that it's a hokey bowl of mush instead of an intense Buffy-esque drama. I'm sure we can relate to that shock to some extent. I'd be here all day if I were to thematically dissect this film.
Instead, I'll get to its technical qualities. The cinematography by Erik K. Yue is illuminated with mesmerizing neon purple, while the production design by Brandon Tonnor-Connolly accentuates Owen & Maddy's forlorn life rather well. The Pink Opaque even looks like a relic of its time from what we see of it. I'm not exaggerating when I say how The Pink Opaque's monsters are all gruesome. Mr. Melancholy, his twin demons Marco (also Portner) and Polo (Madaline Riley), and the ice cream man Mr. Sprinkly (Albert Birney), are all nightmare-fuel incarnate, and the makeup and visual effects people responsible need to be commended for that. The foreboding score by Alex G and intense sound mix are also worthy of praise.
All in all, I Saw the TV Glow isn't an easy film to watch. It's also not that easy to succinctly describe. Whatever the case, I'm sure you'll get an unforgettable movie experience if you can relate to its young protagonists' existential dread. See it soon if you want to see what I mean. But whatever you do, don't watch this before bedtime! Next episode: a surprise movie review!
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