Sundance Review: I SAW THE TV GLOW is an Eerie Mind Bender

There’s a common phrase on the internet: The girls that get it, get it, and the girls that don’t, don’t. I Saw the TV Glow is definitely for the people who get it. The movie follows a young teenager, Owen (Justice Smith), as he connects with a classmate, Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) over a teen late night show that will feel like home to anyone who grew up watching cheesy 90s TV like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files. 

Both Maddy and Owen are awkward, shy, and uncomfortable in their own skin, but Maddy is convinced that the show is real and her life in the suburbs is fake. And while Owen is desperate to find his true self, he is more skeptical than Maddy.

Writer and director Jane Schoenbrun’s fascination with the convergence of technology, media, and reality is presented in such an abstract way. It feels as if most viewers will be left behind, while a devoted few will grant this film a cult classic, similar to Donnie Darko. 

Part of me wishes Shoenbrun’s storytelling was more straightforward–that there is a fun, relatable story in here that gets weighed down with so much esoteric, high-brow bloat. And while I appreciate the fun music and good acting, I’m afraid I’m one of the girls who doesn’t entirely “get it.”

Here’s the official description from Sundance:

Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021 Sundance Film Festival) introduced us to a new genre of their own design: emo horror. Their follow-up feature builds upon that vibe, worming its way into the subconscious with an equally potent autopsy of reality versus fiction. As Owen, Justice Smith exudes a quiet vulnerability, while co-lead Brigette Lundy-Paine displays a confident yet awkward conviction. Schoenbrun has a knack for portraying the trappings of adolescent family life with nuance and a welcome ambiguity, freeing audience members to relate in a way that is best suited to their own experiences. I Saw the TV Glow forces us to consider whether the memories of our youth betrayed us, or if something more sinister is at play.