Have you ever felt like you were someone else, not in a sense that you are not you but there is more to you that you don’t understand or maybe even something you know but are too afraid to accept?
“I Saw the TV Glow” was a movie that was released over the summer that deserves some recognition. The sophomore film from director Jane Schoenbrun hit theaters last May and was released under A24 which is a very popular indie film company that is very prominent among young adults in modern film culture.
The film takes place in a mundane town where teenager Owen, portrayed by Justice Smith, befriends Maddy, portrayed by Brigette Lundy-Paine, and they bond over a children’s show that was canceled because it was too creepy for most children. As the film progresses many crazy things happen from Maddy disappearing, to Owen starting to see things and you start to ask yourself what is real and what is just TV?
Justice Smith absolutely killed it with this role and shocked many film goers to see him in such a new light as this character that is unlike any he has ever played before. His acting in the film was some of the most real and passionate acting he has ever given. Co-star Lundy-Paine also gave an outstanding performance with the screen time that she was given.
Overall the movie itself was heavily marketed towards the younger generation but also the LGBTQ+ community. Director Schoenbrun is openly Non-Binary and a proud activist for gay rights and a lot of the deeper messages in this film is about the terrible idea of not feeling right in your own body. Many LGBTQ+ audience enjoyed the movie and stated it as an accurate portrayal of the feeling in one of the creepiest ways they have ever seen.
“I Saw the TV Glow” was just an out of the park movie with amazing acting, an amazing soundtrack from artist Alex G that added so much feeling to the film itself to the point where the film would not have been the same without it, along with an overarching sad yet real plot that depicts real struggles many go through. The movie is now streaming on many platforms and highly suggested that anyone who has not watched it yet should.