A24’s ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is a trippy nightmare fuelled nostalgia trip
A24 has all but cornered the market these days on distributing original horror movies that capture the zeitgeist, leading an entire generation of moviegoers to think of the studio in the same terms as Marvel movies. Marketing prowess aside, however, many filmmakers have managed to take full advantage of this creative partnership and get eyeballs on fascinating films that otherwise might’ve slid underneath most audiences’ radars. Next up is one of the year’s most daring productions yet: I Saw the TV Glow.
Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, this marks the non-binary filmmaker’s newest effort after 2021’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, a feature debut that immediately put their name on the map for good. I Saw the TV Glow has all the makings of an even bigger and more exciting step forward, taking the simplest of concepts – “Hey, remember that television show we all used to watch as kids?” – and turning it on its head to explore themes of nostalgia, queerness, and expressions of one’s true self. In short, it’s exactly the kind of movie you’d expect to see A24’s name attached to and one that has already earned some glowing reviews out of various film festivals.
2024 is already shaping up to be another big year for horror, and, by the looks of it, I Saw the TV Glow is getting ready to plant its flag and make one heck of a statement. In fact, the footage and early reviews alike paint the flick as something of a genre-bender, defying any and all easy labels as it invites audiences to follow filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun down the rabbit hole.
The movie stars rapidly-rising actor Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Detective Pikachu, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as teenager Owen, Brigette Lundy-Paine as his mysterious classmate Maddy, and Ian Foreman as a young Owen, along with Helena Howard, Fred Durst, and Danielle Deadwyler.
The film marks Schoenbrun’s second feature and, if the trailer is anything to go by, might very well establish them as an artist close to becoming a genuine household name. Horror fans will get the chance to find out for themselves when I Saw the TV Glow comes to cinemas on May 3rd, 2024.
