The Pink Opaque
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5)
“I Saw the TV Glow” is the Psychological/Horror/Drama we are all needing right now!
Many of us GenX/Millennials remember the days when a spooky and captivating television series had us obsessed on a weekly basis. VCR timers were set and printed picture-book companions were a must. Thus tells the story of “I Saw the TV Glow.” Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) are lonely teenagers who bond over the late-night young adult show The Pink Opaque (WB’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? are a fair comparison). Saturday night viewing sleepovers become a regular thing; and as their friendship grows, the lines between reality and their favorite TV show begin to blur.
“I Saw the TV Glow” is an eerie, yet beautiful, exploration of sexual orientation, gender dysphoria and pushing back on societal norms.
Maddy later disappears and The Pink Opaque is cancelled. Nearly 10 years later, she returns and brings Owen to a bar outside town (which just happens to be a Pink Opaque location). She explains her reasons for leaving and her shedding of pain. Her comparisons of her and Owen to Tara and Isabel (characters from the show) scare Owen. She then encourages him to join her in a similar process so they can start the next season of The Pink Opaque.
“I Saw the TV Glow” has surreal moments that are an homage to David Lynch and Twin Peaks.
The cool and creepy bar scene in “I Saw the TV Glow” is both haunting and full of nostalgic comfort for those of us remembering our early discoveries of the avant-garde 1980s. Haley Dahl and Phoebe Bridgers are members of the house band, who provide the perfect amount of Industrial Pop/Metal to reinforce this eerie parallel dimension.
Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun uses what we fondly remember - the radiant glow of the TV in a dark room - and gives us a colorful cautionary tale of what can happen when we push down our true selves.
The internet and its algorithms have made a shared connection so easy. Streaming platforms are endless. But before we started binge-watching, we showed up weekly for our favorite shows. Many of us sat in a dark room on a Saturday night, immersed by the light of the television. Our intense love for each episode made it all feel so personal. “I Saw the TV Glow” brings that obsessive experience all back. I welcome its return.
