‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is a transgender and queer PG-13 phycological horror and drama movie, made by A24, and directed by Jane Schoerbrun. The two main actors are Justice Smith, as the protagonist Owen, and Bridgette Lundy-Paine, who plays Maddy.
The story follows Owen through his life as he meets Maddy and discovers the horrors about who he really is. This movie has touched many people’s hearts in many ways, as a transgender person myself the movie has portrayed the feeling perfectly as well as using the scenes and imagery to really tie in the movie.
This movie has had quite an effect on some students from CSHS who have shared their love for this movie, as Isabella Peña has stated “I really loved the movie because it explored the themes of identity, social culture, and alienation. It portrayed itself to me more as a symbol that represented the allure of finding one’s true self in a world that constantly distorts and represses it.”
I believe that this movie has truly pulled the whole message together with the special effects and efforts of the scenes, the hidden symbolism of Owen being transgender has been portrayed within the colors of the lighting, the soundtrack, and even in the main show in this movie ”The Pink Opaque” which shows who Owen and Maddy truly are.
However, this movie isn’t for everyone, as some people say that the movie is not a true horror film, or that the story is disorienting and confusing, but that is one of the main points of the movie. Some people have also stated that they feel that the movie “was written by an angsty teenager,” and were very disappointed in the horror shown on the
screen.
In my own opinion on this movie, it was not like other horror movies but so much better. The soundtrack has to be one of my favorite soundtracks made by Alex G and Phobe Bridgers. Some of the most liked songs in this movie are: ‘Anthems for a seventeen-year-old girl’, ‘Starburned and Unkissed’, and ‘Rolling around in the dark.’ This music can be amazing for indie music lovers, or just someone who enjoys calming music with a deep meaning to it.
I saw the TV glow also has many little details and fun easter eggs, such as one of the first scenes having the transgender flag colors in it, as well as a lot of other scenes in the movie. Another cool fact about the movie is The Pink Opaque being a reference to Buffy the vampire slayer.
The whole movie sets the theme of being trans and queer into perspective for some people, it’s a huge awakening and even gives people personal confidence to be themselves instead of burying themselves alive without ever truly knowing who they are.
Overall, this movie is a beautiful project that has impacted so many people over the world, one of them being Kayla Miller who has stated how well it’s made and even shed tears while watching it: “In my opinion, ‘I Saw The TV Glow’ was one of the best psychological movies I have seen this year. The way it incorporated LGBTQ+ as a theme as an undertone within the film while also setting other themes is just whimsical.”
Its soundtrack, scenes, and overall characters and how they are presented really shows what this movie is trying to portray. I believe this movie did a wonderful job at showing the horror of being afraid of being who you are, and I would recommend anyone to watch it.
