As horror goes, few studios do it as well as A24. Since their founding in 2012, A24 has put out some genuinely great horror films, including titles such as Midsommar, Bodies Bodies Bodies, The Witch, Heretic, and more. What makes the studio’s horror offerings so special is that these aren’t just “standard” spooky fare. Instead, they are movies with rich stories that explore serious themes and concepts that not only elevates the genre but gives audiences truly great movies that stick with you long after the credits roll. Now, one of the best from 2024 is about to be free to stream, making it a great time to check it out.
Videos by ComicBook.com
On June 1st, I Saw the TV Glow arrives on Plex. The film had previously been available to stream with an HBO Max subscription before leaving that platform at the end of February. The film, from filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, was a critical success and continues to be an audience favorite. The film’s arrival on free streaming comes at a perfect time for fans of Schoenbrun’s films as well, with their latest, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, just premiered at Cannes Film Festival and will be released theatrically in the United States on August 7th by Mubi.
I Saw the TV Glow Draws on Pop Culture TV to Tell a Unique Story
In I Saw the TV Glow, a pair of troubled teens have a very intense connection to their favorite television show, “The Pink Opaque”. That connection pushes the teens to question not only reality, but their own identities, something that intensifies when one of the two goes missing and returns 8 years later with claims that she’s been living within the television show. The film serves as an allegory for the transgender experience, specifically the turning point moment where a person realizes the disconnect between their assigned gender and their personal identity. It’s a powerful film about such a unique and intimate subject and part of what makes it work so well are its influences.
One of the major influences for I Saw the TV Glow is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The film’s central television series, “The Pink Opaque”, is very Buffy-coded, with a “monster of the week” format and “strong female characters” that were hallmarks of the series. Taking things a bit further, I Saw the TV Glow even has a Buffy-related cameo appearance, with actor Amber Benson (who played Tara Maclay on Buffy) appearing. But Buffy isn’t the only influence on I Saw the TV Glow. The Adventures of Pete & Pete also leave fingerprints on the film (and we also get cameos from Michal C. Maronna and Danny Tamberelli) and there are even some Twin Peaks influences as well.
The various influences give the film a sense of existing alongside those familiar properties almost making it feel like “The Pink Opaque”—and I Saw the TV Glow itself—like it fits into our own, real-world television culture. It heightens the experience and gives the film a horror element that is more personal and deeply grounded, making it unlike anything else and a true gem of a film to watch when it hits Plex on June 1st.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
