Movie Recommendation: I Saw the TV Glow – Nostalgia, Identity, and the Dangers of Staying Stuck

I Saw the TV Glow, directed by Jane Shoenbrun, is an indie horror film that explores themes of nostalgia, identity, and the peril of choosing safety over self-discovery. 

WARNING: Spoilers for I Saw the TV Glow (2024) below! 

I Saw the TV Glow follows Casey and Riley, two teens who become engrossed in a strange TV show called The Pink Opaque. The show is reminiscent of late-night Nickelodeon programs like Are You Afraid of the Dark and The Adventures of Pete & Pete mixed with a little The X-Files for that delicious monster of the week flavor. But The Pink Opaque, and its absolutely horrific antagonist Mr. Melancholy, seems to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Shoenbrun uses this setup to dive into themes of gender dysphoria, the complexities of self-discovery, the mind’s ability to cope with trauma, and the fear of stepping into the unknown no matter how badly you want to do it. 

I’m a millennial of a certain age and I know a thing or two about commodified nostalgia. Nostalgia plays a central role in this film, but it’s far from the comforting, brightly colored cartoon characters slapped on t-shirts or memorialized on a special edition collectible McDonald’s cup. Instead, it evokes a feeling that I can only describe as deeply unsettling.

The movie taps into the feeling of looking back at a past that wasn’t happy, particularly for those of us who felt out of place or struggled with our identity during our formative years. It’s the kind of nostalgia that will leave you questioning why you found any of this comforting and familiar in the first place.  

What makes I Saw the TV Glow different from its peers is how it handles the idea of transformation, or more specifically, the fear of it. This is not a horror movie in which the main character comes out of it on top, having defeated their demons, badly bloodied but happy to have survived. This movie is a warning, a modern-day campfire tale. 

Casey and Riley’s obsession with the show allows them to explore their true selves and break free from the confines of their lives, which appear to be marked by abuse. When Riley disappears, we’re left following Casey, who lingers in the tension of wanting to change but being too afraid to take the leap himself. In this way, the film eschews the traditional narrative of self-discovery. 

Casey’s reluctance to embrace his true self underscores the misery of staying stuck in a life that doesn’t fit quite right. And I Saw the TV Glow doesn’t shy away from showing us the consequences of that choice. Casey is stuck, trapped in a strange limbo in a world that, at the surface level looks like it’s normal and fine, but the minute you scratch away at the surface you start to see the rot. 

Without using any traditional Hollywood gore, Jane Shoenbrun managed to create one of the most upsetting visuals that I’ve ever seen during Mr. Melancholy’s Moon Juice scene. And if that line doesn’t convince you to watch this movie, I don’t know what will. 

Trends in horror movies can show us what a society is afraid of, but recently it has been a popular and powerful medium for telling queer and trans stories. I Saw the TV Glow, with its body horror, psychological terror, and the blurring of reality and fantasy, reflects the experiences many trans and nonbinary folks experience every day. 

I Saw the TV Glow is more than just an indie horror flick. It’s a meditation on identity, nostalgia, and the choices we make (or don’t!) when faced with the possibility of change. The visuals, and the ending, will linger long after the credits roll. 

Author: Ash Macaulay

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