Photo courtesy of The New York Times

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FILM: “I SAW THE TV GLOW”

“There is still time.”

Horror movies have made quite the resurgence through the production studio, A24. Films like “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” “Get Out,” “The Lighthouse” and “Climax” offer disturbing looks into the real and the surreal, the grounded and the supernatural. 

Personally, I am not one to enjoy these types of horror movies, often they rely too much on their shock value or jumpscares in order to provoke an emotional response out of the audience. I prefer films that are scary based solely on the fact that their world feels too real. I would much rather be scared by what I know than by what I don’t. 

Director Jane Schoenbrun’s second narrative feature length film, “I Saw The TV Glow,” takes the viewer on a trip through the life of Owen, a gloomy, solemn kid who merely wanders through life until he meets Maddy, an older high schooler who dyes and bleaches parts of her hair, wears long sleeves and speaks in a dull, unenthusiastic drone. 

They both have an interest in a late-night, young-adult TV series called “The Pink Opaque,” a monster-of-the-week serialized outing into the lives of Tara and Isabel, two friends who discover and utilize their psychic powers. 

Owen — through watching this TV show with Maddy every night that it airs — discovers more about himself than he ever has before. Through stunning cinematography, visuals and a life-giving color palette, we go through Owen’s journey of self-discovery with him, seeing the newfound beauty and awe in the world.

But then… Maddy disappears. 

“…all they found was her TV set — burning in the backyard,” Owen narrates. 

Jump-cut to eight years later, Owen is 24 years old and is working a job at a funplex.  His life has grown dim, he has lost everything. His mother died of cancer, Maddy is gone and his father does not even talk to him. 

Owen then runs into Maddy at a grocery store.

Maddy explains her whereabouts within the past eight years and begs Owen to come with her, back to “The Pink Opaque.”

The film takes a drastic tonal shift at this point, changing from an eerie yet nostalgic view into the 90s and early 2000s late-night TV show aesthetics to a full on techno-sci-fi horror film. 

The shots get visually darker, you can barely see the characters in most of the scenes, only being illuminated by the faint glow of the moon, electronics or neon lights. 

Maddy reveals to Owen — in one of the most impactful monologues I have heard in the past five years — that she is Tara and that he is Isabel. Owen begs Maddy to listen to reality and that he is not who she thinks he is. 

Maddy plans on burying her and Owen alive in order to get back to “The Pink Opaque,” however, Owen flees from the scene. 

During this point in the film, the viewer might be thinking, “Is Owen really not who he thinks he is? Has Maddy lost it? Why do they have to bury themselves alive in order to be born again?”

This is the film’s only weak point in my view. The amazing performances, the stunning visuals, the creepily perfect sound design, the music — all of which are fantastic and painstakingly done — all fall short if the viewer does not relate to the main themes of the film.

In an age where it is obvious that queer and trans people are under attack through legislative means and through a pointless “culture war,” cinema like this is absolutely necessary, if not vital, to the protection of queer people. 

The subtext — even if it is not subtle — is clear to those who are paying attention: No matter who you are, no matter how you were raised, no matter the societal expectation, if you feel that something is wrong with you… do something, because there is still time. 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars