The genre-bending independent movie that stunned Martin Scorsese: “Emotionally and psychologically powerful”
The coming-of-age genre is ripe with stories about young people that occupy each corner of the adolescent spectrum, with films about socially awkward teenagers, popular girls, nerdy boys and bullies.
Without looking very hard, you will probably find an array of experiences that reflect an aspect of your own, charting the ups and downs of growing up that cause us to cringe and feel seen when watching classic rite of passage experiences like failing math exams, learning how to kiss and embarrassing ourselves at house parties. However, there has only been one truly groundbreaking film from this genre in recent years that has captured something no one else has, detailing the disorienting dysphoria of not being able to come of age and the devastating consequences of not being able to realise your most authentic self.
After the release of We’re All Going to the Worlds Fair, Jane Schoenbrun became one of the most fascinating emerging filmmakers through their trippy and nightmarish portrayal of growing up on the internet, capturing a unique experience that hasn’t been realised on screen before. It showed the isolation of seeking comfort and connection through a screen but how intensely disconnected and damaging this truly is when you have no one else in your life. After Schoenbrun announced the premiere of their sophomore film at the Sundance Festival, it soon became one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, and for good reason.
I Saw The TV Glow follows a teenager called Owen who is introduced to a TV show called The Pink Opaque, quickly becoming obsessed with it as cracks begin to show between reality and the fictional story world.
The film creates an ethereal yet disturbing mood that rejects the typical coming-of-age story by showing the heartbreaking reality of queer assimilation and not being able to realise your true self, becoming a ghost-like figure as Owen is unable to explore their gender identity.
It blurs the line between surrealism and horror by showing someone trapped by the fear of expressing themselves, becoming haunted and terrified by the idea of their unrealised potential and the worry that it is too late to do so. Schoenbrun shows just how many stories have yet to be shared on the big screen and the transformative power of cinema, especially for people within the trans community who are often excluded from mainstream media.
As well as being welcomed with open arms and deeply appreciated by the queer community and cinephiles in general, it was also met with high praise by one of Hollywood’s most notorious critics: Martin Scorsese. In a recent interview, Scorsese highlighted the power of the film, saying, “There was one film I liked a great deal I saw two weeks ago called I Saw the TV Glow. It really was emotionally and psychologically powerful and very moving. It builds on you, in a way. I didn’t know who made it. It’s this Jane Schoenbrun.”
There are few films that have been able to give a voice to this experience in the way that I Saw The TV Glow does, but Jane Schoenbrun has created a visceral portrait of the devastating and soul-crushing consequences of repression and how this stifles the most beautiful of souls; being forced to live a half-life that doesn’t allow them to experience the full spectrum of life and being suffocated by the possibilities of what it would be like to do so.
