I Saw the TV Glow
Directed by Jane Schoenbrun
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-one which conveys a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen's view of reality begins to crack.
Where to Watch I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow Ratings & Reviews
- MrPokeMarch 23, 2026"There is still time." It really sticks with you.
- rg9400November 1, 2024I was cognizant of the polarizing audience reviews for this movie coming into it, and I was fairly hesitant. I do not usually mesh well with artsy surreal movies that tend to be mostly symbolic. I find them often opaque (no pun intended for the in-movie TV show "The Pink Opaque) with very tenuous symbolism, and I often feel people read too much into those movies because they remain so indecipherable that any interpretation seems valid for something so obtuse. I was thinking of movies like mother! which I loathe, so I went into this movie fully expecting to struggle with it. However, I Saw the TV Glow, while allegorical, is also pretty straightforward. It is not muddling its message or being purposefully obtuse for the sake of appearing insightful. It has a very clear purpose, and everything within the movie serves to further that purpose. The symbolism is intentional and well thought out, and I found the way the message was conveyed to be very well done overall. It's still a strange movie, though I would not say it is really horror, although it gets very dark and does face a more existential style of dread. It's kind of a personal reflection. There is some cool cinematography, and the soundtrack is maybe the second-best of the year behind Challengers. I think some sections drag on, and there are scenes that probably should have been cut out because they don't go anywhere, especially during one concert scene mid-movie. I am shocked to say that the more I think about it, the more I honestly really enjoy it. It tells an intimate story about living a life that is true to oneself and the cost of burying it. It talks about the courage and leaps of faith required, and it explores the power of childhood nostalgia and magic found within media. It's a story about not being passive and a call to action—a movie that feels simultaneously autobiographical while also holding up a mirror to the viewer. I strongly urge viewers to try to dig deeper than the surface level plot because the movie isn't overly dense. There is meaning here, and you do not need to dig that deep to find it. You will be rewarded with a unique movie that might just make you reflect on the way you live your life.
- VarunJanuary 26, 2025I had two wildly opposite experiences during the film. The first 45 mins I found to be really slow paced and even though I understand they wanted to do a long portrayal of childhood, it felt like a set up that took too much time and my mind started to wander. But the final 45 minutes absolutely transfixed my body, mind and soul. There’s an 8 minute monologue from Maddy that resonated with me so hard. Since I immigrated to the other side of the world when I was 15, dealing with culture shock, identity crisis, loss of friendships, heartbreak, questioning the role of memories, spending so much mental energy dealing with emotions and thoughts that I’d never experienced before and how that affects your perception of time, the metaphor of her not feeling like she was in the right world, right body, right era was so relatable. We also drown ourselves in media to escape, and especially when we’re kids, these shows etch themselves into our memories so deeply we start to romanticise about them but at the same time since they’re not real activities we did ourselves but just a form of consumption, we don’t have a normal sense of time. If you had asked me what I did in 2017, I literally could not tell you because I can’t remember anything from that year as all I did was consume media and this pattern repeats itself in chunks in the following years. And then you start wondering how the years keep increasing but the quantity of experiences do not match your age whatsoever because your life is not yours anymore and your attention has been hijacked by corporations. This movie has such a mesmerising style in conveying the power of nostalgia, how the art and beliefs you consume as a kid have a way stronger subconscious impact than anything you watch as an adult. It’s weird how the transformation from childhood to adulthood isn’t as smooth as we expect it to be and feels almost like a complete break. My older life and inner child feel so completely alien to me, like those memories have been implanted by Mr. Melancholy which is an apt name because that’s the emotion I feel when I look back at photographs and videos of my childhood. I think it’s super important to reckon with these feelings in order to get in touch with your authenticity but most of us just keep on going with “life’s priorities” as Owen chooses to do for years until one final day he has a complete breakdown. No matter how long you spend ignoring your true self, it will come back to bite you one day. A breakdown is an opportunity for you to recognise the problem and change, but you can easily just go back to repeating the same patterns like Owen and “get busy dying”. I also appreciated that they did not choose suicide as a metaphor to escape the world but chose being buried alive as the key which I interpreted as dealing with your Jungian shadow self, as you can never kill your demons but can keep them buried once you learn to face the truth everyday and practice living a life that attunes your inner and external realities. This movie reminded me of Past Lives but here it’s a weird, hypnotic, dreamlike, metaphorical exploration of similar themes. One of my favourite colours is purple so it was cool to see the visual language drenched with a neon aesthetic of different shades, it never feels overdone and enhances the otherworldly, somber and surreal tone of the film. I thought this would be a traditional horror film, but the horror it taps into is something real that many experience every single day, the angst and pain of not being able to embody your true self, to not have anyone to share it with and feeling stuck wondering if that day will ever arrive where you feel real freedom and happiness. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of the film and thought certain themes were brilliantly explored, whether the slow pacing leads to a payoff or not is completely dependent on the relatability to your personal life and if it’s style of storytelling succeeds in invoking certain emotions and memories within you.
- Daniel GustavssonJuly 9, 2025It was alright but a bit overhyped in my opinion. Lots of flashy visuals and a nice atmosphere most of the time, but at the same time it felt like it lacked the tension it was going for. Its got some nice music though.
- Blue___SkyMarch 3, 2026Honest to god, this movie changed my life. Not only is its soundtrack incredible (Alex g, you are everything to me), but the songs it features continue to stun me every time I watch with just how *good* they are. I mean, I first watched it on a 8 hour red-eye flight with the world’s shittiest headphones and I still thought it was good enough to devote a good chunk of my life to every time I revisit it. And I really do mean a chunk. Maybe it’s the autism in me, the fact that I am a raging queer, or just that it’s simply That Good (tm) but it consumes much of my waking thoughts for weeks after I’ve finished it for the trillionth time. I mean, I’m planning for my next tattoo to be of this goddamn movie. It must be somewhat alright, right? Once again, i must be honest. My family did NOT get this movie when i showed it to them. Maybe it’s because that they’re all pretty normal people or that they’re not quite like me, but something about it didn’t click. And that’s ok too! Like all media, it’s not for everyone. But it was perfect for me, despite my status as someone who isn’t a fan of horror (this movie is much much more a psych thriller).For a while in my life, I often felt confused and lost, generally feeling like the world was moving on without me while I was stuck back in 5th grade. This movie certainly didn’t “turn me trans”, but it did help open my eyes to the fact that there was still time to become the person I had long since given up on. And while that definitely isn’t what this movie is about (it varies from person to person), it really did let me start to change my life for the better. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without it. Thank you, I Saw the TV Glow.
- RealRedHoodFebruary 23, 2026This movie made me cry at the end. If you're trans watch it, if you're not trans definitely watch it - the quintessential trans experience lies within this film.
- cultfilmlikerAugust 26, 2025Life’s Good ™️ This is the story of how I fell in love with Pretty Little Liars (at age 20) Will probably never get over the fact that Alex G and Conner O’Malley worked on the same film. Makes me so happy Soundtrack (and score obviously) are incredible. “Claw Machine” is so good. Those performances were very “the Roadhouse from Twin Peaks: The Return” like which is what I’m sure they were going for Also, Snail Mail singing “Tonight, Tonight” is such a good wink Was gonna take this down to 4 stars, saw a review mentioning all the TV actor tie-ins (and Fred Durst), decided to keep it where it is
- neuroparadoxJuly 30, 2025Yes. I don't know. I hope not. Maybe?! That is all. The director takes elements from they did in We're All Going to the World's Fair, and ramps it up to eleventy-hundred, while also improving on the techniques, performances, and sounds. Great work 👏
- RazorbitzNovember 29, 2025A weird film that is unlike anything I've seen, yet left me feeling incomplete. Very dreamlike to a fault; the emotional core of the film is effective and explores ideas of gender and nostalgia in ways that are at times beautiful, yet upon reflection feel hollow to me at least. There are some wonderfully creepy visuals and set up to a pay off that never really comes as it ends all too soon, yet takes so long getting there. I admire the attempt, but don't love the result.
- pauliogazzioJuly 22, 2025Not a horror. Don't waste your time, this is clearly miscategorised
- Katreina EdelweissNovember 22, 2025A bit artsy for my taste but a must watch for anyone queer.
- ScottDecember 15, 2024Schoenbrun’s previous project We’re All Going to the World’s Fair was a bit to experimental for me but everything I liked about it was refined and crystallized here: a movie both intensely and inextricably linked to the 2SLGBTQIA+ journey and yet also broadly accessible. Who among us hasn’t struggled in their identity? It’s a both a powerful celebration and dire warning: media can show you sides of yourself you could never imagine (or maybe don’t dare to). And that can liberate or obliterate you.
- MoheysfNovember 14, 2025A very important cautionary tale about ignoring who you are and it how can slowly kill you! 100% very important trans story
- jackmeatNovember 7, 2025My quick rating - 4.5/10. I Saw the TV Glow is one of those movies that promises a hypnotic, mind-bending experience yet I was just staring at the screen, wondering, “Wait, that’s it?” The poster glows with promise, and to its credit, the movie does draw you in with an intriguing setup and some great atmosphere. But when the credits roll, I was left feeling like I had watched someone else’s dream that forgot to end properly. At its core, it’s a coming-of-age story with a supernatural twist. Teenager Owen (Justice Smith) delivers a solid performance filled with awkward innocence as he drifts through the monotony of suburban life. Things get weird when his classmate Maddy (Jack Haven, perfectly channeling goth-curiosity energy) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show. Soon, reality and fiction start blending, and Owen begins to question what’s real—and what’s just reruns of his own confusion. Visually, the movie nails the vibe. The eerie television glow, the VHS-style production design, and that nostalgic static all work together to create a moody, almost dreamlike atmosphere. If this were a short film or an extended music video, it might have been brilliant. But as a feature, it drags like dial-up internet. And then there’s the horror, if you can call it that. The scares are practically on vacation, and the tension dissolves faster than a TikTok trend. What could’ve been a haunting psychological descent ends up as a shallow pool of metaphors about identity, loneliness, and obsession that the film insists on spelling out for you in neon letters. The symbolism is so overworked it practically waves at you. Every glance, every light flicker, every awkward silence screams “meaning!”—but instead of subtlety, it just feels like the film is trying too hard to be profound. The acting doesn’t help much, either; while everyone gives an earnest effort, emotional depth is replaced by long stares and mumbled lines that never quite land. It’s frustrating, because I Saw the TV Glow looks great and clearly has something to say, but it never figures out how to say it. It’s like watching a beautifully shot dream sequence that refuses to wake up. The coming-of-age thread earns most of its points, but the horror elements are DOA. In the end, I Saw the TV Glow is more style than substance—a surreal mood piece that mistakes ambiguity for depth. It’ll lure you in with its neon nostalgia and promise of psychological horror, only to leave you feeling emotionally ghosted. That is how I felt, but hey, when Fred Durst shows up, you gotta "get your hands up."
- drkipperbscSeptember 11, 2025not a whole lot really happens here
I Saw the TV Glow Trivia
I Saw the TV Glow was released on May 17, 2024.
I Saw the TV Glow was directed by Jane Schoenbrun.
I Saw the TV Glow has a runtime of 1h 40m.
I Saw the TV Glow was produced by Luca Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Ali Herting, Sarah Winshall.
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-one which conveys a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen's view of reality begins to crack.
The key characters in I Saw the TV Glow are Owen (Justice Smith), Maddy (Jack Haven), Young Owen (Ian Foreman).
I Saw the TV Glow is rated PG-13.
I Saw the TV Glow is a Drama, Horror, Mystery film.
I Saw the TV Glow has an audience rating of 7.1 out of 10.
I Saw the TV Glow had a budget of $10M.
I Saw the TV Glow has made $5.4M at the box office.