Poster for I Saw the TV Glow
Noni Ford reviews the iconoclastic coming-of-age film and its exploration of gender identity, loneliness, and the attachments we form with media like television.
It’s insanely hard to write a review of I Saw the TV Glow that has no spoilers. Then again, maybe it isn’t since there are so many varied theories on what the film is about. Given the director Jane Schoenbrun’s previous work and notes on the film, it is a story dealing with aspects of body dysphoria, but also so much more, like the way kids who don’t fit in to their surroundings attach themselves to media they feel speaks to them, how media can facilitate a friendship between two people, and how terrible the home lives are of people who may be viewed as the “weird” kid in school.
What I immediately picked up on in the film’s first act was how television had so much power in the lives of our characters. At first it is a commodity for our lead character, Owen, who has his use of it restricted by his very overbearing parents. Later it is used as a tool to distract Owen’s stepfather and later himself from the monotony of their lives. Television is Owen and his friend Maddy’s escape from their reality because it gives them The Pink Opaque, a fantasy show they consume obsessively every week. Even as Owen works at a movie theater, we never see other patrons in the place, we only see people watching television in their homes. There’s something to be said here about having such exclusive access to a device in your residence that can eliminate some amount of discomfort that comes from everyday life. Yet we never see what the stepfather is watching, and the TV does nothing to ease tension in the households we see; it’s simply a portal of escapism. This comes out even in the title of the film — I Saw the TV Glow — indicating the feature that pulls most people’s attention to the device.
Owen and Maddy watching The Pink Opaque
The film also transitions between different lighting schemes to show the different periods of Owen’s life: as it loses its luster, the older he gets. In the beginning, there are scenes that showcase the vivid color we see in The Pink Opaque show, indicating perhaps how close Owen is to the fantastical as his life can truly take any turn. In the latter half of the movie, there’s much more darkness and many of the light sources are harsh fluorescents. As he rejects the past and what exactly the show meant to him, he becomes sicklier and more withdrawn. The story is narrated by Owen who sometimes breaks the fourth wall to talk to us as he goes about his life. These breaks allow Justice Smith to really showcase his talents as he leans heavier into a certain degree of blankness and his eyes become dead, even as he later proclaims to be happy in his decisions.
For Schoenbrun, the film represents the “egg crack” period of transitioning, which is a moment specific to trans individuals where someone realizes their assigned gender isn’t their identity. When looking up non-professional critic reviews of the film, many seemed confused by this concept. While some had completely different views of the film and what its message was, many others rejoiced and felt that this was the first time they’d seen their experience displayed on screen and given gravity. I Saw the TV Glow has exposed more people to this concept, opening up visibility to trans experiences.
Owen in I Saw the TV Glow
This film is not cheerful, with Owen’s increasing displeasure and passivity becoming hard to watch as the story unfolds. However, I wouldn’t quite categorize it as a horror or a mystery either. I think it is an arthouse film that exists to take from it what you wish as you would a work of abstract art, whether you can relate to the characters or are exploring new emotional terrain. I found it deeply affecting and was torn between watching it again or sitting with it for a few hours in contemplation after reaching the end. I expect any screening of the film to leave people in their seats conversing with those around them long after the credits are over.
I Saw the TV Glow will be shown at IU Cinema on September 20 and September 21 as part of the New Americas Cinema series.