Intro: I heard great things about this film and wanted to check it for myself. So on the way back from Fuerteventura earlier this year I started watching it and, unfortunately, I stopped almost immediately. Back then it was mainly because there isn't a lot of dialogue here and the plane was so loud I could barely follow what was going on. In retrospect, it might have been a sign...
Film 2475: "I Saw the TV Glow" (2024), Jane Schoenbrun
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Jake
Thoughts: Possibly my least favourite film I've seen recently. I'm sure "I Saw the TV Glow" has its fans out there, but this is definitely not my cup of tea.
My main issue with this movie is its pace, and a little bit the outlandish plot (especially towards the end).
Specifically, it's evident from the get-go that the screenplay is in no rush to let you know what's going on: the pace is slow, the dialogue is minimal, the soundtrack takes the lead, things happen and yet it feels like nothing is going on. I would describe it as one of those stories where vibes and aesthetic vision take over the plot to deliver a product that is more in the range of a long music video or something that would be shown at an art gallery as a visual piece from an artist. That's how I felt watching it — together with frustration.
Yes, frustration, because "I Saw the TV Glow" was sold to me as an indie masterpiece and a psychological horror drama, so my expectations were high and connected to a specific movie genre. So I was definitely disappointed when a) I wasn't particularly taken by the story while watching it and b) I realized there was no conventional horror element in the story whatsoever. And it definitely didn't help that Jake and I were making fun of some bits of the story while watching it: the amount of time they repeat "The Pink Opaque" in the fucking dialogues is insane and drove me crazy.
All in all, this movie wasn't what I expected it to be (and probably needed to see that evening, if I'm being honest) and ended up not enjoying it at all. Justice Smith and Jack Haven's performances are good but didn't blow me away, while Jane Schoenbrun's artistic vision is clear and consistent throughout the whole story, but it's so prominent that it ends up outshining the script. They have a new movie coming out soon that looks promising ("Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" with none other than Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder) and I'm probably gonna watch it, but I'm afraid I'll end up feeling the same way I felt watching this film: having bought into the promising trailer and enthusiastic reviews only to find it didn't live up to the hype.
P.S. I don't want to deadname anyone, but for the sake of clarity, I just want to point out that Jack Haven here is credited as Brigette Lundy-Paine.
Cast: Justice Smith, Jack Haven, Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Conner O'Malley, Emma Portner, Ian Foreman, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler.
Box Office: $5.4 million
Worth a watch?: The obsession for a TV show pushes two high school friends to question their reality when the show starts to feel more real than their own lives at times. This idea is quite intriguing and I was curious to see where the screenplay would have led this story, but I have to admit that I really struggled to stay focused the more the plot developed and progressed.
It's a very slow-paced film that relies heavily on aesthetics and vibes: if this is what you're looking for in a film, go for it, I'm sure you'll have a great time. For those who enjoy a more structured and dialogue-heavy story, this might not be your cup of tea.
Awards: Presented in the Panorama section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.
Key word: The Pink Opaque.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Jake
Thoughts: Possibly my least favourite film I've seen recently. I'm sure "I Saw the TV Glow" has its fans out there, but this is definitely not my cup of tea.
My main issue with this movie is its pace, and a little bit the outlandish plot (especially towards the end).
Specifically, it's evident from the get-go that the screenplay is in no rush to let you know what's going on: the pace is slow, the dialogue is minimal, the soundtrack takes the lead, things happen and yet it feels like nothing is going on. I would describe it as one of those stories where vibes and aesthetic vision take over the plot to deliver a product that is more in the range of a long music video or something that would be shown at an art gallery as a visual piece from an artist. That's how I felt watching it — together with frustration.
Yes, frustration, because "I Saw the TV Glow" was sold to me as an indie masterpiece and a psychological horror drama, so my expectations were high and connected to a specific movie genre. So I was definitely disappointed when a) I wasn't particularly taken by the story while watching it and b) I realized there was no conventional horror element in the story whatsoever. And it definitely didn't help that Jake and I were making fun of some bits of the story while watching it: the amount of time they repeat "The Pink Opaque" in the fucking dialogues is insane and drove me crazy.
All in all, this movie wasn't what I expected it to be (and probably needed to see that evening, if I'm being honest) and ended up not enjoying it at all. Justice Smith and Jack Haven's performances are good but didn't blow me away, while Jane Schoenbrun's artistic vision is clear and consistent throughout the whole story, but it's so prominent that it ends up outshining the script. They have a new movie coming out soon that looks promising ("Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" with none other than Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder) and I'm probably gonna watch it, but I'm afraid I'll end up feeling the same way I felt watching this film: having bought into the promising trailer and enthusiastic reviews only to find it didn't live up to the hype.
P.S. I don't want to deadname anyone, but for the sake of clarity, I just want to point out that Jack Haven here is credited as Brigette Lundy-Paine.
Cast: Justice Smith, Jack Haven, Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Conner O'Malley, Emma Portner, Ian Foreman, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler.
Box Office: $5.4 million
Worth a watch?: The obsession for a TV show pushes two high school friends to question their reality when the show starts to feel more real than their own lives at times. This idea is quite intriguing and I was curious to see where the screenplay would have led this story, but I have to admit that I really struggled to stay focused the more the plot developed and progressed.
It's a very slow-paced film that relies heavily on aesthetics and vibes: if this is what you're looking for in a film, go for it, I'm sure you'll have a great time. For those who enjoy a more structured and dialogue-heavy story, this might not be your cup of tea.
Awards: Presented in the Panorama section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.
Key word: The Pink Opaque.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
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