Writer-Director Jane Schoenbrun made their Sundance debut with "I Saw the TV Glow," a horror/sci-fi mash-up about two friends, Owen and Maddy, who met as teens in the 1990s.
The coming-of-age story follows a shy young boy named Owen (played by Ian Foreman and later Justice Smith as Owen becomes an adult.) When Owen tags along with his mother on election night at his high school, he meets Maddy (played by Brigette Lundy-Paine) while waiting for his mother.
Maddy is an older girl from Owen's school who is a superfan of the TV show "The Pink Opaque." The show is about two teenage girls who use their superpowers to battle the evil Mr. Melancholy.
Owen becomes instantly intrigued with his new friend Maddy and the show, which his strict parents would not approve of him watching. The pair devise a plan to watch the show together, which sets the stage for their unique friendship and the remainder of the film.
The story can sometimes be hard to follow, as it alternates between scenes with Owen and Maddy as teens and young adults and in and out of the "Pink Opaque" fantasy world and reality.
Throughout the film, Schoenbrun nods to '90s pop culture, drawing inspiration from the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series and filmmaker David Lynch. On a deeper level, the film explores themes of social isolation and gender dysphoria, which Schoenbrun wrote as they were going through their own experience while transitioning.
"I Saw the TV Glow" features a strong cast, led by Lundy-Paine and Smith, who portray Maddy and Owen, respectively, and a surprise cameo by alternative rock lead Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. The film also includes several musical performances, including a band fronted by Phoebe Bridgers in a dive bar reminiscent of the roadhouse in "Twin Peaks."
Opening in theaters this weekend, "I Saw the TV Glow" is 1 hour and 40 minutes long and rated PG-13 for violent content, some sexual material, and teen smoking. Distributed by A24 and co-produced by Emma Stone, it is a film worth watching for horror/sci-fi fans.
