I Saw The TV Glow – Review | Max (3/5)

I SAW THE TV GLOW is now on Max. The queer fantasy horror movie with a lot of meta and deeper meaning won’t be for everyone. There is much more to the story than what meets the eye. Read our full I Saw the TV Glow movie review here!

I SAW THE TV GLOW is on Max now, so if you’ve been curious about this genre-mix, then do check it out. I know it will not be for everyone, but you could check out the trailer first or read up on it before giving it a chance.

I will say this; If you ever felt different as a child or teen, and loved escaping to the world of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then this was made for you. The actual runtime is just around 90 minutes, so it isn’t that long.

Continue reading our I Saw the TV Glow movie review below. Find it on Max from September 20, 2024.

Escapism galore

In I Saw the TV Glow, we meet the teenager Owen as he is trying his best to find his place in the world. Owen is trying to figure out what makes him tick and life in the suburbs clearly isn’t very exciting to him.

Watching TV is a wonderful form of escapism for him. One show in particular has grabbed his attention. Unfortunately, it comes on after his bedtime, so he isn’t allowed to watch it.

Instead, he makes a new friend in school – a girl a few years his senior – and she helps him. The two bond over the TV show before it’s mysteriously canceled and his friend disappears.

This isn’t where the story ends, but rather where Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

Wonderful young talent

In this queer fantasy horror movie, we get two talented actors portraying the two main characters. It’s clear that both characters aren’t just your average cishet kids, and they even speak to each other about this.

As the main character, Owen, we have Justice Smith while his new best (and only) friend, Maddy, is portrayed by Brigette Lundy-Paine.

Both actors have also portrayed queer characters before and both are part of the LGBTQ community. Justice Smith came out as queer in 2020 while Brigette Lundy-Paine came out as non-binary in 2019.

Does this matter? Well, if you watch the story of this movie and acknowledge all the many layers – and the need to belong somewhere – then yes, it definitely does.

Watch I Saw the TV Glow on Max now!

I Saw the TV Glow was written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun. She previously made the feature film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021).

I enjoyed the many meta elements and layers of this movie. At the same time, I recognize that if you can’t relate to the TV series escapism, then maybe it won’t work for you.

Also, the queer and trans elements with a deeper meaning worked for me. But maybe that’s not for you. Still, I believe this movie was made with those in mind who can relate.

Having said that I did find it quite dark. I mean, when the end credits came, I felt seen and sad. Not sure that’s what I expected. Or rather, I am certain I hoped for a more positive outcome.

That’ll be in real life instead, I suppose, which definitely isn’t bad.

I Saw the TV Glow is out on Max from September 20, 2024.

Details

Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Writer: Jane Schoenbrun
Stars: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, and Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler