“There is still time.”

An intense helplessness and disassociation with one’s self. Struggles with one’s own identity and expression. The usage of the Mandela effect. These are elements in “I Saw the TV Glow,” the latest film from filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun. I attended a screening at the Bud Frank Cinema, and it is a truly powerful film. 

The film follows Owen, who, after meeting fellow high school student Maddy, grows obsessed with a show entitled “The Pink Opaque,” a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”-esque series that airs on the Young Adult Network (a reference to the SNICK block that existed on Nickelodeon back in the 1990s). Not long after becoming a fan of the show, the world surrounding Owen begins to have strange occurrences — all somewhat connected to the show. 

Justice Smith is downright devastating as Owen, portraying a reserved character with an overbearing father who finds happiness in the characters and the world of “The Pink Opaque.” His character also serves as the narrator, occasionally addressing the audience at specific points in the film with a saddened voice filled with emptiness and almost void of happiness.

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As Maddy, Brigette Lundy-Paine delivers an excellent performance. A massive fan of “The Pink Opaque,” Maddy desires a better life and freedom from her abusive home life. An example of their excellent performance is a monologue they deliver in the second act, explaining to Owen where they have been for the past decade and asking him to remember the finale of “The Pink Opaque.” 

With their second feature-length directorial effort after 2021’s “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun crafts a fascinating entry into the horror genre. As a result of the distinct choices (whether the performances garnered or the choice of lighting)  in their direction, Schoenbrun delivers an interesting entry in the horror genre: An allegory. 

“I Saw the TV Glow” is an allegory of the transgender experience. This is seen from the beginning of the film with its opening sequence, featuring a young Owen with a depressed look on his face, under a parachute — with the colors of it being an array of pinks, blues, and whites: The colors of the trans flag. Echoes of this allegory’s themes are evident throughout the film, with sequences tackling Owen’s struggles with his identity, such as a brief scene of him staring at himself, shirtless, in the mirror, and a recurring scene of Owen wearing a dress. These themes even extend to the lighting/color palette of the film. 

One of the strongest aspects of the film is its soundtrack. Easily, the best track on the soundtrack is “Photograph” by dark wave/gothic rock outfit Drab Majesty (one of my favorite bands), which has the sound of a song ripped out of the soundtrack for a lost 1980s John Hughes film. The track “Psychic Wound” by doom metal band King Woman is a chaotic cacophony of heaviness featuring the visceral screams of vocalist Kristina Esfandiari. The band performs the track in a sequence at a club during the film’s second act, with Esfandiari donning goth makeup while delivering the song’s vocals. There is also yeule’s brilliant experimental cover of “Broken Social Scene’s Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl,” which also plays during the film.  

“I Saw the TV Glow” delivers the viewer an intense and symbolic work on one’s own gender identity through the usage of horror and coming-of-age genres.  

There always is time.

“I Saw the TV Glow” is available for streaming on Max and can also be purchased on Blu-ray on the A24 website. 

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