I Saw the TV Glow review

I SAW THE TV GLOW: 

JUSTICE SMITH GLOWS IN BRILLIANT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

A24

Justice Smith in I Saw the TV Glow

 

            Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) goes into his own personal Truman Show in the new psychological thriller-drama, I Saw the TV Glow. The film is written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) and is essentially another addition to the A24 WTF catalog of movies (And if you’ve seen a lot of A24 films you’ll know what I mean). 

            The movie looked interesting by the trailers and that it was being promoted heavily during my local film festival. There’s a very strong chance I’ll be watching the new A24 release that’s being hyped up like crazy regardless of what it is. 

            I can say with much enthusiasm that this pretty much exceeded my expectations in just about every way. This is one of the strangest and most bizarre films I’ve seen all year and I loved every minute of it. 

            The film follows a teenager named Owen (Smith) trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate, Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine-The Glass Castle, Bombshell, Bill & Ted Face the Music) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV shown known as The Pink Opaque and his world changes forever. The show is actually a vision of a supernatural world beneath our own and on top of that, the series was abruptly canceled which results in Owen’s views of reality beginning to crack. 

            The film also stars Helena Howard (Madeline’s Madeline, The Wilds, Shoplifters of the World) as Isabel, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst (Revelations, Sorry, Haters, Play Dead) as Frank, Danielle Deadwyler (Jane and Emma, The Harder They Fall, Till) as Brenda, Lindsey Jordan/Snail Mail as Tara, Conner O’Malley (Joe Pera Talks with You, Palm Springs, Bodies Bodies Bodies) as Dave, and dancer/choreographer Emma Portner as Mr. Melancholy among other Pink Opaque characters. 

            Overall, I Saw the TV Glow is a surreal and engrossing experience that mixes bizarre storytelling and 90s nostalgia and explores how we perceive media both as a child and adult. Probably the closest things I can think of to compare the fictional Pink Opaque show with are Power Rangers and Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?which as a kid is like an epic spectacle with threatening monsters and villains and then when you revisit it at an older age, you start to acknowledge the campiness of what it really is or be like “This is terrible, what was I thinking when I was younger?”. 

            We’ve all had moments like that in our lives and while I can’t say it will resonate completely with everyone who grew up watching campy shows or movies, I’m certain you’ll be able to relate to something in this film whether it’s the in-universe show and how cheesy it is from an adult’s perspective or something to do with its characters. 

            The movie also captures the look and feel of a nostalgic memory with how scenes are shot, lit, edited, and its use of music and flashy visuals with this almost dreamlike and otherworldly environment. It really is as if you’re watching childhood memories told through the lens of a camera and that aspect deserves a lot of praise. 

            I also love how weird this movie gets often in terms of its visuals, editing, and scenes to the point where trying to explain them would be a huge disservice. I personally just recommend checking the movie out in order to see the WTF imagery featured in it. 

            Justice Smith is a very hit-or-miss actor to me; I found his character annoying as balls in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and his Detective Pikachu and Dungeons & Dragons characters…exist. Here, I thought he was great as Owen and this film really showcases his full capabilities as an actor from his humorous fourth wall-breaking narrations to the audience to his interactions with Brigette Lundy-Paine’s Maddy and the inevitable shift to madness as his perspective on reality starts to crumble, easily the best I’ve seen from him. 

            This is also a wildly unconventional movie that will lead to different interpretations and endless discussions amongst moviegoers. I’d strongly recommend bringing someone along with you to your viewing of it and listen how you interpret the film afterwards because if there’s any film out right now that perfectly sums up the magic of cinema, it’s this. 

            I Saw the TV Glow is a delightfully weird and chaotic celebration of childhood nostalgia without forcing nostalgic references down the audience’s throats. It’s a very personal and thought-provoking look at how people perceive things from their youth and how they change with age and just a damn entertaining ride, tune in and see for yourself.