Review: I Saw the TV Glow – Once more with feeling

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun
Starring Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman

5.5/10

Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) feel isolated from their classmates and the world in general, but form an unlikely bond through appreciation of a supernatural TV show. When Maddy goes missing and the show is cancelled, Owen attempts to navigate a fractured reality in the aftermath.

At its heart, I Saw the TV Glow is a massive queer allegory, demonstrating how media can resonate with identity. It can fill a hole, providing a connection that is not being met within the local community nor understood or accommodated by friends or family. For writer and director Jane Schoenbrun, this seems to predominantly be Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as proven by one welcome cameo) filtered through the constructed fictional supernatural teen drama of The Pink Opaque.

To this end, this horror drama leans heavily into atmosphere, both to its credit and its detriment. I Saw the TV Glow effectively conveys a sense of disconnection from the world and a longing for something else. In a very Lynchian manner, it shows a suburb cloaked in a pall of mundane, stifling horror, pointing to a supernatural cause while demonstrating moments of beauty and grotesquery. At times it is captivating, at others shocking. However, this prioritises that creation of tone over almost any form of narrative drive.

That is where I Saw the TV Glow falters. It’s a great mood piece (and love letter to ‘90s fandom) rather than a great story. That lack of a strong plot gives the film a slow, meandering pace that often seems indulgent, tipping towards pretentiousness. Nor does Justice Smith’s performance feel emotionally charged enough to carry the weight placed on his shoulders. It’s a good understated performance with some darkly comedic touches, but he’s given an impossible task in the final scene and is unable to deliver what is required. It weakens the ending and the whole film as a result.

However, there’s a flawed beauty about I Saw the TV Glow that makes it difficult to judge. For the right audience, the film’s strong LGBT message or mood will resonate with their lives. Others will bounce off hard, finding the imagery laboured and the pacing drawn out. Unfortunately, I appear to be in the latter, and as much as I appreciate its style and message, I can’t truly give it the love it deserves.

DAVID O’CONNELL