I Saw the TV Glow - Film Review (you'll either love it or hate it)

I Saw the TV Glow is the second feature film from director Jane Schoenbrun, after their first feature film, WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR, came out to critical (albeit not general audience) praise in 2021.
This project stars Justice Smith, Ian Foreman, and Brigette Lundy-Paine. It was produced by a team led by Emma (Emily) Stone and is being released theatrically by A24.
Logline: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show - a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.
pointsofreviews.com/
00:00 Intro
00:33 Background
01:41 What It's About
03:33 Inspiration from TV
04:43 Suspending Disbelief
07:07 Lived Experiences of Characters
08:05 Love it or Hate it
08:53 Getting Made
09:20 Final Thoughts
09:38 Subscribe
#isawthetvglow #a24 #janeschoenbrun

[@robyngalante3842]

thoughtful review. When this film ended I was upset and not sure what I thought but as time passed I have not stopped thinking about it and have come around to ot honestly being one of my favorites.

[@PointsofReview]

I'm so glad to hear that!

[@CaseyWooden]

loved this film. need to see WORLD'S FAIR asap.

[@PointsofReview]

Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely a unique filmmaker. Interested in how you will find WORLD'S FAIR!

[@2_feel]

this film changed me as a person

[@PointsofReview]

You're not alone!

[@gFamWeb]

Just finished watching it. Wasn't invested for the first half and even the first three quarters. But the ending really shook me. I didn't expect it to end that way.
I will say, if i were to change anything about it, I would have removed the mid-movie reveal, or at least made it less clear. I was actually starting to enjoy the ambiguity of the narrative, ahd then they basically have a character explicitly state "this is the answer", and it was ultimately deflating. It made it feel like the vast tapestry of possible interpretations collapsed down to one. Thankfully, it picked back up after that.

[@QwertyCaesar]

Well, it's a trans narrative. And the answer for people who are experiencing gender dysphoria is usually a scary process but one others have done before successfully but ultimately straightforward - transition. It's the solution for literally 99% of people with gender dysphoria. You can have living proof in front of you that it works and it's still difficult to accept despite being so simple and obviously true. If people had an easy time accepting it there wouldn't be anti-trans hate and their wouldn't be people afraid to transition with thoughts like "okay it worked for everyone else but it's too late for me." It's not ambiguous in the film because the answer is, quite frankly, not ambiguous in real life.

[@CallitlikeyeCit]

I couldn’t grasp this film.. the trailer made me excited to watch but once I watched the film.. I was highly disappointed

[@PointsofReview]

I think a lot of folks likely feel the same way! It's certainly not a film made for everyone, and that's perfectly okay. That being said, I probably wouldn't go check out We're All Going to the World's Fair either. Any other A24 pictures you ARE a fan of? I'd be happy to recommend some others.

[@CallitlikeyeCit]

@@PointsofReview my favorites would have to be Hereditary, Midsomer, Mid 90s, Last black man in San Francisco

[@PointsofReview]

@@CallitlikeyeCit both fair choices!

[@CallitlikeyeCit]

@@PointsofReview ..yea I added my other favs as well lol

[@xvampfangz]

personally, i think i like we're all going to the worlds fair better- its actually one of my favorite films but it took me 4-5 watches to get it
im not sure if thats how it will be with this movie too, it just felt a little too all over the place for me to form the concrete plot line and understanding of the film

[@PointsofReview]

Yeah, I'd say this one is less about a "concrete plotline" and more about a broad allegory exploring gender identity and gender dysmorphia. It is inherently confusing because our characters are deeply confused about so many parts of themselves and the world, and the story is essentially being told through this chaotic sense of self. Could definitely use multiple viewings to really frame it in these different ways.

[@JameeCornelia]

Ngl I hated the movie when I left felt like I wasted my time and the only good from it was the shots. But after your review I’m like maybe I didn’t walk into the movie with the right expectations and Civil War had me feeling the same way so maybe that’s just the season A24s in rn I feel like the advertising isn’t setting us up right for the films or something lol

[@PointsofReview]

I definitely agree with the A24 advertising piece. Neither film was really marketed "accurately", but unfortunately, that's just a part of the game at this point.
I do think that TV GLOW is easy to disappoint/confuse depending on the lens through which it's viewed!
You're welcome to check out my review for Civil War as well - see if it fills in any gaps for you!
th-cam.com/video/_Hi5fdT-XmQ/w-d-xo.html&si=3bGAPlqDkDw5RX2s