Jane Schoenbrun’s sophomore film, I Saw the TV Glow, really cements their skills as a filmmaker. Featuring a stellar cast and gorgeous visuals, the film delves into nostalgia as a means of representing the struggles of identity and growing up.

In I Saw the TV Glow, we are introduced to 12-year-old Owen (Ian Foreman), who watches a commercial for a teen fantasy show called The Pink Opaque. Unfortunately, the show airs past his bedtime, on Saturday nights. While at a school event, Owen meets 9th grader Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) reading an episode guide for The Pink Opaque. Although Owen is interested in the show, he reveals he’s never had the opportunity to watch it. Owen starts spending the night at Maddy’s house so that he and Maddy can watch The Pink Opaque together, leading to a quiet and awkward friendship, where the two are engrossed in the wacky and slightly horrific series. The friendship lasts for years (with Justice Smith playing Owen from the ages 14 and up), with them finding solace in The Pink Opaque.

As time progresses, we learn more about Owen and Maddy, who are both struggling with family and friends. Owen deals with a preoccupied mother (Danielle Deadwyler), and a father (Fred Durst) who looks down on him, questioning why he likes a “girl” show. While Maddy deals with absent parents and loses a friendship with who she thought was her best friend, all because she likes girls. After the series is cancelled, however, Maddy disappears from Owen’s life. Years later, they’re reunited, and the line between reality and TV blurs. Even as a viewer, you feel disoriented as Owen will randomly break the fourth wall, adding to the relatability of Owen’s feelings of confusion.

The film is visually stunning, with grainy VHS scenes scattered throughout sharp scenes filled with neon colors. Everything is dreamlike, with a score that emphasizes these feelings. Watching I Saw the TV Glow, I felt just like Owen and Maddy as they watched The Pink Opaque, completely moved and amazed. Likewise, the acting by Justice and Brigette was phenomenal. Owen has a slow and heartbreaking transformation as the film progresses, and Maddy’s monologue in the inflatable tent scene was simply transfixing. Watching the two grapple with the struggles of growing up felt relatable and heartbreaking. I felt especially moved by Justice’s performance, and by the film’s finale I felt overwhelmed with emotion.

I Saw the TV Glow is a personal, earnest and poignant film mixing nostalgia and surrealism, with hints of horror. While it is definitely a slow burn, there isn’t a moment of wasted time. There is a lot to take in, and it definitely warrants multiple viewings. It delves into the way that media can be a means of escape, while also shaping our identity, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow is a must-watch, and I’m excited to see their future films.

We give I Saw the TV Glow a 5/5.