A24 has been one of the most innovative groundbreaking film companies for the last fifteen years. They have introduced the world to some filmmakers who are household names today like Ari Aster, Barry Jenkins, Robert Eggers, Alex Garland, the Saftie Brothers, and many more. They’ve made incredible films like Hereditary, Moonlight, The Witch, Ex-Machina, and Uncut Gems. They didn’t stop there, though. They keep finding new and talented writers/directors like Jane Schoenbrun, who directed I Saw The TV Glow, the latest horror/drama film from A24.

I Saw The TV Glow premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim and then subsequently played at the SXSW Film Festival to equal praise once again. Now it’s time for everyone who couldn’t make those special engagements in Park City, Utah, and Austin, Texas to finally see this film that will make you question everything about nostalgia culture and what most people’s perception of their youth is. As well as the identity one is designated by. This is a hot-button topic these days, and based on this movie’s plot, it’s very important to Schoenbrun that’s for sure.

Owen (Justice Smith, Ian Foreman) is a shy and weird kid. He’s looking for some direction in his young life. He notices a girl,  Maddy (Brigette Lundy Paine), reading a book about a television show he was interested in called The Pink Opaque; it piqued his curiosity. He masters the courage to go up to the older girl and start talking to her. She takes him under her wing as they are both fans of this show. They become friends based on this small detail. 

As a coming-of-age film,  this works on a couple of levels. It deals with identity and developing who you truly are as a youngster. Both of the main stars of the movie have an transgender or LGBT-centric lifestyle. One likes girls, and the other is not sure if he likes girls, or boys, or wants to be a girl. That’s the identity crisis this film wants viewers to witness. It takes place mainly in the 80s, and that was a decade that started some changes regarding sexual orientation and identities. Now, it’s a huge topic in the world. No matter what side you’re on regarding this, people of all ages are affected by this in society. It’s definitely a hot-button topic for sure.  This movie doesn’t shy away from that at all regarding its two main characters. 

Justice Smith has made a name for himself in recent years with roles in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Pokeman: Detective Pikachu among others under his belt. Lately, he’s been doing a few indie films with this one being one of the best of those. He is acting with a bit of visual effects as an ally. The visual effects help him develop who this young man truly is. He’s doing something unprecedented with this performance. He has truly grown as an actor in his short career. This role proves that without a doubt to me. 

Brigette Lundy Paine is an actor who rose to prominence in the Netflix show Atypical. They have given one of the best performances of anybody I’ve seen all year thus far. Whether they show a female side to their character or a male side, they stand out in this role. They are a bit aloof in their motivations, but identity plays a huge part in their decisions from the beginning of the movie. They stand out as an actor to watch in future films with potential awards season to look forward to later this year. This is one of the best-acted LGBT-centric characters I’ve seen in movies in recent years. 

I’m a huge proponent of the 80s. This decade is filled with nostalgia for me. Especially with many films like ET: The Extraterrestrial, First Blood, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Terminator,  and Predator.  As well as television shows like Star Trek The Next Generation. I am a big Star Trek fan in general, but a huge Next Generation fan. I religiously watched this show every Saturday night in its weekly syndicated slot. My brother and I watched every Saturday night together. It was part of our bonding experience as siblings.  We absolutely loved watching this show together each week for its seven seasons. This came to mind while watching this film. It’s about nostalgia and enjoying watching something great from your youth, but it’s also a warning that nostalgia can be misleading at times. You may have lived for something because you saw it as a child, visited a place, or had a memory of something that isn’t quite what you think it is. That is what I have experienced in my lifetime. This movie is a prime example of this theory I have. It’s smart writing from Schoenbrun from my perspective. 

Alex G was in charge of all the original music in this film and there were amazing songs sung during the movie. Some were of the original variety and other were part of the soundtrack. A scene where bands were singing on a stage also had some songs. The music overall was very good and added a nice element to a movie that already had a very different vibe than most I’ve seen this year so far. Good music or a score can make a huge difference in a film and in this case the music is a key part of it.

I Saw The TV Glow has elements of horror, but it’s mainly a coming-of-age drama focusing on transgender identity and the nostalgia factor of the two main characters featured in the film. As a big nostalgia guy, I resonated with this. I was a big fan of many comic books, movies, and television shows from my youth in the 80s, and this film very effectively deals with the misconception of nostalgia and its many pluses and minuses. It’s also an identity story. The main characters have to decide who they truly are, which is a main theme throughout the movie. Schoenbrun deals with these topics very effectively from my informed perspective. I have fought with my own identity in my youth and adulthood. It’s not always easy to determine who you truly are in life. It took me a lot of introspection to figure it out. This movie is very important to me in that regard. Schoenbrun is another find for A24 and they are another great writer/director to watch for in the future.

5 stars

Dan Skip Allen