by James Coulter
There’s no doubt Hollywood has seen better days. However, even amidst a rising tide of corporate slop, sequels, and remakes, one studio has dared to stand tall and produce films that aren’t merely profit-driven comic book movies or live-action remakes.
A24 has gained the reputation of being one of the few indie studios to break into the mainstream with their less-than-mainstream filmography, producing such stunning cinema as The Green Night, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and its latest entry in psychological horror, I Saw the TV Glow.
I Saw the TV Glow is a suspense horror drama that made its grand premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last January. It received a limited theatrical release later that spring before eventually being streamed onto Max. The film has received wide acclaim, not only for its dark dive into 90s-era nostalgia, but also for its not-so-subtle queer and trans allegory.
But does this indie horror film by a prominent horror studio deserve such glowing acclaim? Or was this merely a flash in the pan that will inevitably fade out into the darkness of obscurity?
I Saw the TV Glow is a coming-of-age psychological horror about Owen and Maddy, two teenagers from the late 1990s who bond over their mutual love for The Opaque Pink, a creepy children’s show similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Are You Afraid of the Dark? However, one evening, Maddy goes missing, and on the same night, their favorite show gets canceled.
Years pass, and Maddy reunites with Owen. The two friends catch up on old times, especially on that old show they used to watch together. However, the two of them quickly learn there’s more to it than they initially thought. What is the mystery behind this creepy kid’s show, The Opaque Pink? And what does it have to do with Maddy’s sudden disappearance and reappearance?
Hands down, the one aspect of this movie I love most is its unapologetic 1990s nostalgia. This movie is to the 90s what Stranger Things is to the 80s. And as someone who grew up during that time, I really appreciate it.
The Opaque Pink is a loving nod to similar creepy kids shows from that time, most notably Buffy, but also shows like The Secret World of Alex Mac or Animorphs. In fact, there’s a quick blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene featuring two actors from a very notable Nickelodeon show. (What actors and which show? No spoilers! You’ll have to watch to find out.)
I loved all the subtle references and aesthetics from that time, from the Nickelodeon-style commercials and bumpers and the Buffy-style font used for the credits on The Opaque Pink, to the Fruitopia vending machine with its pastel colors and abstract shapes, and even down to the wood panel walls. If you’re a 90s kid like me, you’re going to dig this movie’s aesthetic.
Another notable aspect of the movie is how subtle and quiet it is. Most mainstream movies are very loud, fast, and bombastic with very rapid scene cuts and overbearing soundtracks that dictate how viewers should feel at any given moment.
In contrast, I Saw the TV Glow is very unafraid to have long stretches of quiet moments without any background music. Characters speak softly and scenes can linger languidly on a single frame for long stretches of time. The result is a movie that’s quieter and calmer, especially in stark contrast to high-octane action horror thrillers, and whose quietness and calmness add to the overall feeling of suspense and unease.
The best way to describe I Saw The TV Glow is a dramatized “creepypasta.” You know those creepy internet stories about folks who know a friend of a friend who discovered a VHS tape of an old show or a lost episode that was “too dark for TV” with “hyper-realistic” elements and which appears to be more than meets the eye? This movie is essentially that.
I Saw The TV Glow is one of those movies with an underlying mystery, something that requires multiple viewings to find all the clues and figure it out. It’s the type of movie that encourages curious viewers to log onto YouTube and watch countless theory videos detailing all of the secrets and explaining the story. Many scenes contain hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) Easter eggs and cryptic messages which repeat viewings will help unveil the movie’s deep dark secrets.
For example, several scenes involve the main character walking down a school hallway with messages on the bulletin boards. While they may, at first glance, appear to be run-of-the-mill motivational messages, reading them will reveal hidden messages about the film’s story.
There’s another scene where the character comes across a nearly-destroyed episode guide from the movie’s fictional television show. The character picks up a single page which, again, on the surface appears to be describing an episode from the show, but in reality…well, that’s a secret worth uncovering.
But more than simply being a supernatural mystery with 90s nostalgia bait, the film is a not-so-subtle coming-of-age trans allegory. The director, Jane Schoenbrun, who is both trans and non-binary, undeniably drew from their own childhood experiences and personal challenges as a queer person when making this film.
I Saw the TV Glow is about a character who struggles to come to terms with their own identity, even going so far as to deny and suppress it in an attempt to live a normal life in a world that forces them to conform, but which only leaves them feeling empty and dying inside. As such, it serves as a cautionary tale about suppressing who we are inside, and, as is spelled out in sidewalk chalk, “there is still time” to accept yourself.
Overall, if you’re tired of the corporate slop being churned out by modern movie studios, if you yearn to watch real cinema that challenges your preconceptions of reality, or if you’re simply a 90s kid nostalgic for a time when Nickelodeon and Buffy ruled the airwaves, check this film out. It’s currently available for streaming on Max and rental.
