Review - I SAW THE TV GLOW (2024) #ISawTheTVGlow

Justice Smith is a young man haunted by vivid (or maybe not so...) memories of a scary 1990s 'tween TV series that was an intense shared fixation for himself and his only childhood friend - who mysteriously vanished at the same point the series was canceled. As cryptic, sometimes terrifying visions suggesting that both his friend and "their" show are somehow reaching back into his life from somewhere not entirely within his understanding; he confronts a dark realization that not only his "lost" friend but their friendship, the object of his fandom, his memories and even his own life may not be what he believed.
Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun ("WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR") fuses vaporwave-retro vibes, Lynchian existentialism and YouTube-age "analog horror" energy into a beautiful, cruel and shatteringly heartfelt portrait of devastation at meeting the limits of allegory as substitute for self-acceptance: An emotional horror movie where the monsters are the inadequacy of nostalgia and the emptiness of the unrealized life.

#isawthetvglow #a24 #pinkopaque

[mitchellalexander]

0:43 "This is the greatest movie I wish I never saw."
-Noah Atweiler on Grave of the Fireflies

[nicholasjensen]

Was going to type “hell yeah more bob” and roughly ten seconds in it would have been the wrong vibe. Love your content and best wishes.

[jkfecke]

The thing is, we can be affected by stories about other people with different experiences. A story might not be "for" me, but that doesn't mean it's appropriative to find meaning within it. Indeed, connecting with a story for someone else is one of the best ways to begin to understand someone with different experiences.

[johnathonhaney]

Hands down, this review of this postmodern Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is the most sincere, heartfelt one I've seen from Mr. Chipman in a while. I'll be seeing this one, as it sounds like too many pieces of my life got onscreen.

Incidentally, there's a game called Stories Untold with a very similar theme.

[jackalovski]

The way you described it makes it sound like a horror version of ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’.

[MusashiOfRings]

My gold standard for a movie about which I feel this way is Children of Men. Excellent movie, but I feel physically exhausted by the end. I definitely understand needing to be in the right headspace.

[Beretta]

"Vaguely appropriative" is the saddest way I've _ever_ heard of saying "experiencing empathy."

[daiakunin]

That description reminds me of 12 years a slave. It's a masterpiece but damn is it tough to watch.

[nuxxism]

I call it "the best movie I never want to watch again" and for me it's Grave of the Fireflies.

[Caernath]

I was sold on "David Lynch for teenagers".

[seanchagani]

I felt this way about “Iron Claw”. Some movies, you’re like “damn, this is a great movie, but this shit is depressing… and then you see THAT movie, and realize, “holy shit, man, this stuff ACTUALLY happened!” And you can’t even be like “well at least it’s just a movie!” Like, damn…

[Robert-hzbj]

Movies like this are tough, because the same thing that makes them so powerful and important also makes them incredibly difficult to actually watch. For example, I frequently describe the film "12 Years a Slave" as the best movie that I will never see again...

[MegamiShin]

Never heard of this until now. I didn’t know Justice Smith could act this well. I’m looking forward to seeing it!

[thunderstruck]

Now you gotta find a way to see the people's joker Bob! I think you'd appreciate it. But it's very difficult to see right now because of dumb reasons. But I saw a screener with the director last week and I loved it.

[MungkaeX]

You peaked my attention with the description about how you’re not sure you want to watch it again, at least not any time soon.

I have a pair of movies on that list right now for myself. Kids & Requiem for a Dream. Both amazing yet visceral films that I don’t think I could bear to watch again more than once a decade (both are overdue for a rewatch).

I keep telling myself I’m gonna watch them with my kids when they are the right age for them, but as that time comes closer and closer, I feel less and less firm with that.

[tjzambonischwartz]

Oh dear. Sounds like a film I very much need to see and very much need specific people with me for emotional support.

[MasculineSkeleton]

There was a book that I had the same reaction to as Bob seems to have had with this movie, but for different less personal reasons. It was "Dead Men Walking" by Steve Lyons. I very well written book with a compelling narrative that I don't have the fortitude to go through again.

[DrAngryMongoose]

this feels like a movie laser guided to drop me back into a deep depression... as much as i want to watch it i don't think its worth the risk

[halberdierradio]

I think I know what this dances around, but I need to be sure. I am going to spoil this movie for myself so I can know if I can handle it.
....
HUH. Well. I'm a LOT less sure about what I thought the allegory was, but now I've got a VERY different idea of what the allegory is and I ammmm absolutely going to need some supportive friends to watch that. It sounds like fucking art though. God damn.

[bookwyrmbelle]

my "greatest movie I wish I never saw" was Pan's Labyrinth.