It’s been about five years since A24 distributed Ari Aster’s daylight horror masterpiece, “Midsommar.” The film stars Florence Pugh as Dani, a grad student reeling from a recent tragedy. She accompanies her boyfriend (Jack Reynor) to Hälsingland, home to their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) and his small, closed community, which grows more disturbing and deadly by the day.
What’s striking about Midsommar, and what cements it as a modern horror classic, is not the unique setting. It’s not the Swedish cult reminiscent of ‘The Wicker Man.’ It’s not any elements that one usually associates with great horror movies. What makes the story resonant is its personal, emotional center. Dani and her boyfriend, Christian, are on the verge of a breakup. A personal tragedy in Dani’s life causes Christian to feel guilty about leaving and further sows resentment between them. Ultimately, the movie becomes less about a cult and more about this withering personal relationship between these two people. It’s a fantasy about being freed from a suffocating relationship destined to end.
A similar creative personality comes to fruition in writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s sophomore outing, ‘I Saw the TV Glow.’ The story centers on Owen, played by Ian Foreman and Justice Smith, a young person who befriends a loner named Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). Maddy introduces him to a television program on the young adult network, a girl-power fantasy series called “The Pink Opaque.” This show is reminiscent of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ and centers around two girls as they fight the forces of evil.
The film is dripping with style, and the celluloid is saturated with beautiful neon expressions. The leads’ performances are equally expressive and devastating. Justice Smith is excellent, and Brigette Lundy-Paine gives one of the most memorable turns of the year. The soundtrack is just as striking, captivating the story’s tone beautifully.
However, it all serves a story that is clearly personal. Owen’s arc in this film is one that many queer folks can relate to. Schoenbrun tells the story of someone who cannot free themselves from the prison they’ve found themselves in. They paint a picture of someone who lives in fear of who they truly are. In their press appearances, Jane Schoenbrun and Brigette Lundy-Paine have referred to the wider community they’ve found. Their journeys are informed by their peers, who have opened their perspectives to new identities they otherwise may never have considered.
This film asks a simple question: What if they’d never found that sense of community? What is life like for someone afraid to make a change? “What if Maddy was right?” Owen asks himself. What if I was someone else? Someone strong and beautiful, very far away on the other side of a television screen?”
New ideas emerge from these ideas, simple questions, and personal stories. Great horror films tell stories that, while not true stories, are truthful. Under a layer of disturbing analog horror concepts lie devastating realities. Owen lives the horror story that so many trans and queer people live with every day. This personal touch gives way to a beautiful sense of personality. What is so striking about ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is that self-expression is something other horror films don’t always grasp. Perhaps there is a deeper personal story behind this year’s utterly formulaic ‘Tarot,’ but who’s to say?
‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is an exciting new film in a year that’s been brimming with excellent queer cinema. It’s a piece of visual storytelling that goes beyond the literal to take advantage of the medium while presenting a haunting vision for the adventurous moviegoer. Don’t miss it.
