Director Jane Schoenbrun's first film, We're All Going To the World's Fair, made it to the countdown in 2022. I Saw the TV Glow is their follow-up, and while less experimental than World's Fair, it's definitely on the same wavelength, touching on themes of identity, and kinship.
It's interesting to read reactions to the movie, as it's a film that is very open to interpretation. Some people seem to come away from it completely baffled, while others have an immediate emotional response that often stems from their queer identities.
The story centers on awkward teen Owen (Justice Smith) who bonds with a slightly older girl at school named Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) over a supernatural teen TV show called The Pink Opaque. Freaky stuff happens, Maddy disappears, and Owen grows older trying to adjust to a life that doesn't feel right.
Jane Schoenbrun has explicitly said the story is an allegorical one about being trans, coming to that realization, and how one chooses to live their life as a result can be liberating, or scary. And it's this allegorical approach that explains the disparate reactions viewers seem to have to the movie.
Personally, I responded to it as a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, which The Pink Opaque definitely takes its inspiration from. I just wonder if I'd have the same realization on a re-watch that Owen has when he revisits The Pink Opaque as an adult....
I watched I Saw the TV Glow on Max.
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