After debuting at Sundance to rave reviews, Jane Schoenbrun’s second feature, I Saw the TV Glow, made a stop at SXSW before its theatrical release in a few months. Giving the esoteric filmmaker more freedom thanks to its larger budget, this dark fantasy is effective in many ways but unexpectedly leaves something to be desired.
I Saw the TV Glow follows two teenagers who share a bond over their favorite TV show, only for their lives to be thrown into disarray when it is canceled. A24 is marketing this as the latest in its cerebral/“elevated” subgenre of horror, and while there are certainly elements of this there, it’s more accurately described as a surreal, often unnerving fantasy film.
The movie is inarguably most effective as a work of atmosphere and image-making. Schoenbrun succeeds in creating an undeniably alluring atmosphere, much as they did in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, immersing viewers in the allegorical fantasy they are creating. In their sophomore feature, Schoenbrun goes even deeper into world-building, creating an entire lore around the fictional YA television series at the film’s core.
I Saw the TV Glow has an effective atmosphere
A few of the images in the movie will linger in viewers’ minds because they are so powerful. Schoenbrun obviously got a much larger budget here than for World’s Fair, and every bit of it can be seen in the execution. Somehow, the film manages to feel both incredibly modern and effectively retro — a balance that can be extremely difficult to pull off.
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However, I Saw the TV Glow really struggles with its pacing. It leans on its surreal vibes to keep the viewer engaged. The movie also has a mystery element, but this external conflict is secondary to the protagonist’s inner journey. At a certain point, the film is banking on the audience’s investment in its characters.
It’s clear that Schoenbrun wants to subvert the tropes of the teen coming-of-age drama to deliver an entry in the genre from a uniquely queer perspective. Unfortunately, this approach is not always successful. At times, the movie comes too close to embracing these tropes as opposed to revitalizing them. It starts to fall victim to the trend of becoming the thing it comments on.
As with their first film, Schoenbrun uses the story of I Saw the TV Glow as an allegory for their own experience as a trans person. Even though it covers similar thematic ground, this feels like an expansion of that initial exploration, diving even deeper into those themes of identity. It’s also much less abstract — with this one following a much more conventional story structure — although that doesn’t necessarily mean it is more approachable.
However, perhaps the biggest culprit for the movie’s ineffectiveness is its lead actor. Justice Smith is frankly terrible here. Although the role calls for him to be somewhat stolid throughout, he never manages to add anything remotely compelling to the role. Brigette Lundy-Paine manages to at least be alluring and mysterious, even if her character is a bit bland, and Danielle Deadwyler and Fred Durst are solid (albeit underused) in their supporting roles. Smith’s delivery is just so uninteresting, though, that he almost single-handedly causes the film to falter.
I Saw the TV Glow is certainly intriguing, and if nothing else, it solidifies Jane Schoenbrun as one of the most idiosyncratic, exciting voices working in film today. It’s not without issues, but it likely could have been substantially better with someone else in the leading role.
I Saw the TV Glow screened at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.
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Rating: 6/10
