I SAW THE TV GLOW Movie Review **SPOILER ALERT**

[@zlobna_bulka]

I was a goth teenager in school in the 90's and had a queer friend 2 years older than me. our favorite show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We always watched it together . This movie gives me chill

[@cozmicshroomzpro1]

I can absolutely understand why it didn't connect for you, it connected so hard for me. I felt like it captured the dread and pain of Dysphoria and Repression so well and brought back those feelings for me which brought me to tears. I feel like the ending and story can be interpreted in so many ways, Taken literally, Maddie's monologue has them say multiple times they change their name, embraced a new life and died to live anew and invites them to do the same. Owen rejects Maddie's invite to leave town once already so this is another chance. Rejecting Maddie again is further proof of Owen burying themselves in their unsatisfying life. Given how the movie present this footage and when we see how shitty and awful the show looked upon rewatch, the final episode feels like it might be what happened to these two and Owen is in fact living a false life but refuses to accept themselves and runs away because its easier to live the lie despite deep down wanting to leave. The last section is fascinating to me as it says its 20 years later but none of his co-workers look aged at all while Owen looks decayed and heavily aged as if living this lie of a life has taken a major toll on them. The theme of time and its advancement is frequently mentioned throughout the film. Life in the closet can go by in a flash when you bury yourself in it and I feel like this is whats happening to Owen, as their only respite at the end is them opening themselves up to their inner self for a moment. Importantly, right before this last bit the phrase 'There is still time' is written on the road. Owen apologizing profusely to me is unsatisfying but also the first time we see Owen actively talk to others intentionally, signalling to me that they're opening up and possibly coming around to the idea that their reality is false.

[@clarissanavarro2762]

I agree with a Lot of what you said, and also found myself crying as I watched. I am a Trans woman that started transition later in life. I found myself understanding the dynamic between Maddie and Owen,... about Maddie wanting Owen to transition even if it means cutting off their family to do so... about how living as deadname would suffocate him until he died.... This Very much was how I felt,... until I started Transition. I also find it interesting that Owen is the only one that ever sees Maddie,... No one else in the film ever interacts with Maddy... and Owen never tells his parents about Maddie, while we never see Maddie's parents. I wonder if Maddie is a representation of Owen's inner self. One Line sticks out to me " be sure to leave before sundown,... if My dad sees you he'll break my jaw again." and.... we see that Owen fears their own dad. A lot of this film hits hard for me because it speaks about how Horrifying life is,....after you understand that you are in fact trans,...and refuse to act on it. The scene in the bathroom... jus' sayin'... All I know is that knowing what I know about myself today,... I would never go back ... Boy-moding is a horror show for me. " You can take my Hormones when you pry them out of my cold dead fingers... " While There is a movie here for cis and straight people about a Life unlived, and mearly existed,... for them this is just tragedy. I think for us queers, the horror of living a life in the closet is truly fear inducing, since for us,... it used to be a possibility,... and for some of us, we may still be Owen. To all the Owen's out there,... follow Maddie.

[@RyanABXY]

100%

[@jkteddy77]

Something else i garnered from Owen's premature aging is as a reference to the lives unfortunately cut short for so many queer people in today's society

[@RyanABXY]

@@jkteddy77 ya that makes total sense

[@cozmicshroomzpro1]

@@jkteddy77 that thought came to my mind as well yeah. spot on.

[@jacksonunitedfund6239]

You guys and Red Letter Media are the only KZbin film reviewers I can enjoy - no pretension, all substance!

[@AmarisFrede]

'Acting' like life is a video game or a movie to cope is called dissociation. I do it voluntarily, which is okay, but some people just slip into it, and need help.

[@Stress-Free-K]

ya ... I was wondering if Maddy was schizophrenic. But I guess the point was to keep the audience in the dark.

[@saiyamoru]

​@@Stress-Free-K Ngl I wondered if that was a possible twist and it feels very boring that they played it straight (no pun intended). The delusions of persecution felt very much like what psychosis looks like to everyone outside of the person experiencing it.

[@Stress-Free-K]

@@saiyamoru agreed. It seems like mental health issues are alluded to without any access to treatment in sight. Honestly, I've never heard of acting like life is a video game is a thing. But I never played them. That seems kinda terrifying and scary to play around with.

[@LexisReadz]

Joseph’s facial reactions to Nick’s pull quotes are my favorite thing 😂

[@henryardoin8513]

Thanks boys for watching crap so I don't have to"! Guess if I want to watch something truly scary, I could watch Jaguar wright tell the truth! Truth is stranger than fiction!👍✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜✨💜😎

[@missmiko1]

The idea of David Lynch making a YA film made me laugh hard.That will be stuck in my head all day.

[@joedixon1186]

I would definitely see it if he ever did one.

[@RykComerford]

Lynch's most successful show, Twin Peaks, was about many teenage characters (if not actors) in high school.

[@GlynDwr-d4h]

I think it's intentional. It's self referential. Twin Peaks was a huge show in the 90s. The mystery of Maddie's disappearance is vaguely reminiscent of the mystery surrounding Laura Palmer's death. The whole movie alludes to other media. There are tons of references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, like the fonts for the credits in the The Pink Opaque show, but also Are You Afraid of the Dark, which is why he's sitting in front of the fire out in the woods. "The Pink Opaque" is the name of a Cocteau Twins greatest hits album. Isobel and Tara meet at a sleepaway camp, and of course Sleepaway Camp is a trans themed slasher film from the 80s. The reason you have extended scenes in the bar with the musicians playing is because it's a reference to the convention in 90s young adult tv shows where there would always be a musical guest that played at some fictional bar, like the Peach Pit in 90210, and so on. The scene where you see the downed tree in the road is reminiscent of Donnie Darko. There are probably other references in it that I'm not getting.

[@danielkuhne1111]

Went to the restroom during the monologue. Got back and she was still mid monologue 🤣

[@gaddes01]

damn bruh you're lucky, i tried to watch and my brain just switched off at that point

[@th8470]

Joseph you recounting your adolescence made me choke up 😢 I’m glad you’re having a wonderful life now! ❤️

[@beth-ek2oe]

Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more! You guys are the best. It was really touching hearing. You both share how your life story connected a little bit with the movie. Thanks for being vulnerable.

[@elijhaawesome]

13:32 got mad interrupted😂

[@jamescook4116]

I thought this was a very honest review. The film is ambitious but misses the mark.

[@js7dragon]

"I don't believe that you can take care of YOURSELF!" lmao I died

[@laci2966]

Sleep Away Camp was always my go to when I had a sleep over. Purely to disturb the other kids who weren’t allowed to watch horror.

[@dante340]

I thought Maddy looked a lot like a young Winona Ryder in many of the scenes lol

[@chrisrepak4668]

I had episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark that haunted my memories and turned out to be cheesy when I rewatched them as an adult. I really think the effect wouldnt work if the audience knew the show as something cheesy first, from firsthand experience.

[@matthewd773]

Same thing with goosebumps

[@lauramcguan]

Owen also narrates from a fire pit in the woods

[@lauramcguan]

Also Midnight society/ Midnight Realm

[@nicholaspruitt9032]

Is that a Grace Jones tee shirt on Nick? Love it! Remember her in Boomerang? Classic.

[@fishjellyfilmreviews]

Yes

[@santan546]

I need that T-shirt. Anyone know where I can get one ???????

[@NathanielAhart]

I completely agree with you guys, though I think I liked it a little bit more than both of you! The technicals are impeccable, but the second half kind of lost me lol. Might go see this again in wide release, great review guys!

[@rayname908]

The Pink Opaque is a Cocteau Twins compilation album of singles and best tracks from 1982-1985. Great songs

[@Stress-Free-K]

Nice ... a lil Cocteau Twins montage would have been a highlight and fight right in.

[@JohnKyle-iu4lk]

A reference to Taste of Cherry wasn't expected today. I told my friends the Pink Opaque was So Weird if directed by Lynch.

[@christopherpenny7796]

Thats so funny, my favorite parts of the movie were the soundtrack: _ Taper by Maria BC _ Psychic Wound by King Woman _ Claw Machine by Sloppy Janes Very interesting concept , i think the director and/or writer needs a creative partner to help them flesh out their ideas more and improve the pacing of the movie.

[@ElliotStevenKATZ]

XFiles plus Saved by the Bell??? Hell yes, please.

[@jkteddy77]

My hand at cutting through the dense fog of metaphor. Would love knowing what you two think through its lens. The Pink Opaque is a mirror to Owen and Maddy, except instead of being a literal psychic connection like Tara and Isabel share, their unseen "Psychic connection" metaphorically is that they are fighting a similar battle with their own identity. When Owen first sees Maddy, he recognizes her book, a metaphor for something he was exposed to on TV for the first time the night prior. She shows him it and shares encouragingly, seeing his curiosity in The Pink Opaque. The book is more than just an episode guide, it is exposure to an idea. Owen's strict "curfew" is a euphonism for the strict boundaries in which he had to live inside his home. He was only exposed to The Pink Opaque when he could sneak away from the prying eyes of his parents over at Maddy's. In high school and meeting Maddy again on the bleachers, Owen shares that he was too afraid to look inside himself in fear of what he would find in that empty space, so he represses it, and you can see it in his mannerisms and behavior. Maddy is fighting her own battle, sharing how persecuted she feels by her peers and the betrayal of her ex-best friend when she trusted and shared her real self. Convinced that she would die if she has to stay in “town” for much longer, Maddy makes her escape. She invites Owen to follow her, but he's gets cold feet, tattling on himself to get grounded, not having to face the decision. The show ending on season 5 shortly after was evidence of her liberation, the final episode depicting the Maddy which Owen had known being buried, and that Owen was close behind except for himself, it was by force. The Pink Opaque was only an ongoing journey for him while Maddy was there with him. Maddy describes the years passing by so fast since the "show ended", by 22 had had enough of time passing her by unhappily, and finally broke out of her coffin and was reborn as who she really was, clearly cutting her hair and expressing herself. It's a Maddy that Owen didn't even recognize at first. She brings Owen to a safe space to speak, a sapphic bar. Before telling her own journey, she first pesters Owen with whether he had reached his own conclusion yet. Not hearing the answer she was hoping for, she explains she found not only herself, her true beating heart in the freezer, but also Owens in recognizing that they had always been in this conflict together, the nightmare realm of the show, and the present nightmare of living under the wrong identity. Maddy had "escaped" the show after the end of season 5. She describes how she asked to be buried alive (what did that boy really do to her for $50 ‘unknowingly’ ?...), explaining how she reborned herself, prying herself out of her coffin. Being “Buried” in this film is a euphonism for being trapped in the closet. She escaped melancholy. She escaped her closet. Owen originally tried to go after her, seeing the scene of the crime outside her home. She had made it out of the TV burning in the front yard leaving him. Yet, she was trauma bonded with Owen. Whether out of love or just guilt for how she left him behind “in town” or in parallel to the show, succumbing to Mr. Melancholy, she couldn't move forward with her life into season 6 with her own heart as Tara, knowing Owen and Isabel were still living in hell without theirs. When Maddy invites him the next evening to directly confront this realization with him, he resists, calling her insane, rejecting looking inside himself. Maddy states she is certain that he already knows deep down as well what's there. Think back she says, as he recalls trying on her dresses at her house one of those Saturday night sleepovers. On the football field, Owen repeats the tv show premise that the monsters in the drain don't exist if he doesn't think of them. He refuses to fight the battle inside, and rejects Maddy's guidance right at the end before the process of rebirth. Maddy stares on as he runs away, and this time doesn't come back for them. After years of being dedicated to taping and sharing The Pink Opaque, she finally went back for her heart to live on as Tara and gave up on Isabel. She was not going to stop drinking the lunar juice and ever wake up. Owen watches the final episode again, every rewatch ever closer to their breakthrough in who they really are, and this time he even jumps into the TV, so close to escaping his personal hell as Maddy did 8 years earlier, but his abusive and judgmental father who once told him The Pink Opaque was just for girls pulled him back in, "waking him up" by force over the tub and back into his "Snow Globe". The most obvious euphonism was little Owen inside the snow globe, seeing the flashing pinks, blues, and whites luminating from the TV screen the very first time he saw the show "advertised" (though he was never really "familiar" yet), and another moment of awakening inside the clearly Pink, Blue, and White colored Parachute, these being the colors of the transgender pride flag. As time wears he doesn’t even relate to the plot of The Pink Opaque anymore when revisiting it, the feelings he once held are so repressed it’s unrecognizable. 12 years go by since he rejects retrieving his heart back, and his asthma is getting worse. He's nearly dying by age 35, insinuating the young ages at which trans people so often reach the end of their lives. His inhaler stops working, he can't keep going. Even when he desperately cuts himself open to see what's inside, Owen allows himself the brief relief in the bathroom mirror. Isabel has died and he made sure of it. But he still dresses back up and returns to work, continuing to apologize for who she really is as Maddy had warned him to stop doing in her living room 22 years prior.

[@ambrosinemariya]

this was exactly my read on it! as a person who discovered their trans identity with one of my friends in high school, this movie captured those exact same emotions. i really enjoyed this movie.

[@jkteddy77]

@ambrosine8689 so cool it was relatable, much of Jane's stories are sewn with thay shared experience

[@richardwilliams8008]

Thanks for the analysis and breakdown of the film! I just saw the movie today and I'm like, "Why is Justice wearing a dress?". 🤔 I guess because the theatres list the movie as a horror film, I always gravitated to the two characters being in (or trapped in) some sort of Twight Zone-type hell and never really picked up on the trans allegories and allusions sprinkled throughout the film. Then again, I'm a heterosexual male, so maybe that was the point. I may go see the movie again this time with your synopsis in mind. Definitely a movie that makes you think; thanks again for your upload!

[@clarissanavarro2762]

I find so much in what you have written makes sense to me. As a trans woman that has transitioned late in life, so much of Owen's life resonated so hard with me that it literally brought me to tears. Those that see this through a queer lens understand the horrors of living in the closet well enough that we recognize it even when in an allegory like this. One thing I would Like to add to your brilliant synopsis is something that I found intriguing, and would Like to know what you think?? No one else in the film ever interacts with Maddie. Even though Maddie talks about her parents we never see them. This just hit me,... Owen watched the TV show with Maddie in the basement,... until she moved away, and then we see him watching the TV show in the basement. Could Maddie be Owen's inner self? The conversations between Owen and Maddie sound like Owen trying to talk himself into realizing they are transgender. The call by Maddie for him to " run away with her." seems Like ..." cut off your family and live a genuine life,...transition because staying here will suffocate and kill you." The grave is a metaphor... what do we call our old selves?? " deadname". OMG...edited to add the following. Owen beseeching Maddie to tell the police that she is alive because... " your mother thinks you are dead." For many of us, that is exactly how our parents think when we come out to them.... that their child " died". While I can understand that cis people may see this film and think it is about existing day after day afraid to live life, ... and understand it is tragic, I think that queer people will understand the true horror of continuing to live in the closet, after your egg has cracked (the bathroom scene ). I hope that the cis viewers revisit this film with these understandings in mind,... because if there ever was a film that in my opinion best expressed what our lives were like before transition, and for many continue to be, if they fear transition.... this is it. PS great catch on the Trans flag colors,...I did not see it but now.... I will definitely watch it again with your observations in mind.

[@specificsoup]

Interesting idea about Maddie, but what about her friend who interacts with her? I agree she’s very isolated otherwise but before her friend spread rumors about Maddie, we see them talking to each other

[@joanietails]

Saw this tonight so of course I’m here now. I expected this to be a horror film, and I kept waiting for it to happen. The live wire scene is where I thought ok the movie is gonna start now, but it didn’t. I left the theater hating the film. The whole time watching I was trying to figure out if Owen was autistic, and if that was the plot. I missed all the trans references, but I did wonder if there was something more going on with the dress. Then I thought, were they both being sexually abused by their father figures? Owen’s dad seemed very concerned about what he was watching and when he caught him with his head in the tv the scene was ambiguous to me with the violent imagery of the dad standing behind Owen. The girl was fearful of her father and the scene where she leaves Owen in the basement could’ve gone several different ways. I thought maybe she left him down there because her dad was violating her (she had stated her mom didn’t care what she did). Then later when she is trying to jog Owen’s memory I thought maybe she was trying to get him to remember some sort of abuse, maybe that happened in the basement, and that the tv show was a mind escape from reality. I still don’t really know what the film was about lol but I did enjoy seeing the young Owen actor (he’s the kid from the Showtime series Let The Right One In) and he was the best part of the film. Thank you FishJelly for another great review. Also- why didn’t he take his sleeping bag off the floor and sleep on the couch? I get that he was feeling only half welcome, but that drove me nuts! lol Update- after reading some of the other comments, especially the one about the colors of the trans flag (duh, so obvious, I can’t believe I missed it!) it’s pretty clear that this is what Owen was dealing with. Yes, it’s possible Maddy was his female voice. So much going on, I guess this film is worth a second watch after all.

[@mollyt1296]

"Rose McGowen is a trigger for me." Me too, Joseph!

[@Lexmadison]

Wait please provide me with context, I’m just curious

[@MadailinBurnhope]

​@@Lexmadison she's a TERF

[@mollyt1296]

My issue with Rose, whom I used to be quite a fan of, is that she had some really awful takes on SA, and decided that she spoke for all victims, when she doesn't. What really did it though was her yelling at, and disrespecting a trans woman who attended one of her book signings, saying that because they were not a cis woman, that their trauma is invalid or "not the same." She went as far as to have this person removed from the bookstore. Her behavior towards this person was so unnecessarily hostile and bigoted that I can't understand why she has any audience at this point. I also personally think that someone who took a huge payoff years ago to keep quiet about what happened to her, only to hop on the me2 movement in what appears to be simply a move made to make her relevant again, is really disingenuous... She doesn't speak for all survivors of assault, and certainly doesn't speak for me.

[@Stress-Free-K]

My reoccuring thought was ... please make it end. Why won't this movie end???

[@claytonkelley4921]

The premise “two teenagers bond over their love of a supernatural tv show, but it’s mysteriously cancelled” That’s gotta be the most vaguest description ever 😂 Am really excited to hear your thoughts!

[@maryblasingame4083]

I really enjoyed it but do agree that there were some parts that just didn’t connect all the way. Overall I enjoyed the design and story just wish it was a little more fleshed out. The music truly was fabulous, the soundtrack has been on repeat for me ever since I heard Caroline Polacheck made “Starburned and Unkissed” for it.

[@letmeknowhowthatgoes]

I thought Owen was autistic, esp the bleacher scene. In the end I feel like the movie was about a person who never aligned his inner self with how he understands and navigates the outside world and relationships with others. So he and others just think he's weird but its because he's never reconciled the inner with the outer. The TV is a metaphor for distractions that can keep us from deep introspective self discovery.

[@YHoll]

I definitely want to see this movie again someday. I feel like there were a lot concepts. Some I understood and some I didn’t notice until listening to y’all or reading the comments. I loved the movie over all thougg

[@angelorossowrites]

Love the shirt Nick! And the review guys.

[@Oldskoolhunter]

Great review! 22:05 You are correct on your analysis, Jane Schoenbrun states paraphrasing: "it was based on early stages of transition, a fallout of coming out." The whole film is on Jane holding that feeling, until breaking point. Structure of the movie didn't work for me, told in a very dead pan fashion throughout.

[@chrishenderson7233]

Just watched this film last night. Went into it blind, not having seen the trailer or knowing anything about it. 😂 needless to say, im happy yall feel pretty much the same way i do

[@aleksnekrasov987]

So… is this a yay or nay from you?

[@jamescook4116]

Had the same experience. I knew nothing about this film. I was so genuinely confused as to what the film was aiming for that I was asking strangers who had just seen the film their thoughts. The aesthetics are great but it is a muddled mess to a large degree aside from that.

[@chrishenderson7233]

@@aleksnekrasov987 i would say the film wasnt for me, so a nay from me. But i do know it has done something significant for those i went to see the movie with. And they explained to me why it did something for them.

[@stevetayler9518]

09:57 Joseph’s face after the mention of Jordan Catalano 😂

[@DanielCarin]

I was very happy to see Armand White namecheck you guys in his review of this!!

[@nopunditintended99]

This TV didn’t glow for me either.

[@MrOiManDudeGuy]

I quite liked the pink opaque, it is a bit tedious and dry and very slow but it elicited such specific feelings, thoughts and memories and was overall a very interesting, good-looking well-shot and well-framed movie, but I also think the trailer gave away too much. I’m kinda with Joseph on Justice Smith, I wanna like him but he doesn’t quite do it for me. But he was as good an actor as you could get for a role like this

[@mfconstructor]

13:51 was Mr melancholy scene AI ?

[@HighOffLay]

That's what i was wondering too

[@AntsMovies]

The 7th grade version of justice smith looked NOTHING like him.

[@IfYouInsist]

This stressed me out so bad I had to turn it off and reading these comments is deeply validating. The movie also felt super tedious.

[@sloftin]

There was some fan service to us 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' fans as well. I loved it! :)

[@draeblak]

This whole film gave off Twin Peaks and Buffy vibes for me. I enjoyed it. It made me feel uncomfortable, on edge, intrigued and shocked... somewhat in that order. There is so much symbolism here. And the ending was deep. That being said, love who you love and don't run from your authentic self. Cheers.

[@smithtown00]

Have you guys watched Baby Reindeer? Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@fishjellyfilmreviews]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nX7NZp2jnc1ojqMsi=7ltWMTwvlyRRFB-4

[@politefan8141]

I didn't understand how he had those tapes the whole time and only rewatched the show when it came to streaming. Surely, that would have cleared up his confusion as to what really or didn't really happen. At least include a scene of him throwing out his VCR.

[@captainstrangiato961]

I love this movie to death but it’s definitely not for everyone. I grew up lonely using the internet and watching KZbin in the 2000s, and something about the completely bizarre awkwardness and monologues perfectly captures this feeling in a way most films just can’t. It feels like someone who wrote WattPad stories or read Homestuck as a kid. The Lynch YA point is hilarious and I think related to these kinds of feelings and aesthetics. In many ways the scene with “Claw Machine” feels like the “The Nightingale” scene from Twin Peaks or “Blue Velvet” scene from Blue Velvet.

[@heymistercarter.]

This film seems like it could be pretty polarizing. For me, I’m on the pole that loves it. It’s actually between this and Hundreds of Beavers for my favorite film of the year so far. I found this one to be a pretty unique film that I haven’t seen anything like before.

[@Vinsensee]

I’m so sad at your takes :::(((( to sum it up quick by the end of the movie I was crying. Literally. I’ve never felt like a movie was made for ME as much as this.

[@NFK8]

Horror movie related, I am so excited for Longlegs!

[@vincem2759]

Love the grace jones shirt

[@RobotProphetsMoon]

This movies sounds kind of like Channel Zero Season 1: Candle Cove, but not as interesting

[@FocalPointElisa]

I'm watching Channel Zero season 1 now after seeing this film, it makes this film even more underwhelming. However it would have been a good short film. But now I know about the "Creepypasta" genre 😄

[@RobotProphetsMoon]

@@FocalPointElisa Season 4 is my favorite, I like it better than 1

[@2120musiclover]

Justice Smith is great in Detective Pikachu

[@captain07234]

I have to agree with Joseph 2.5 stars. The two central performances were uninteresting and uncompelling and Schoenbrun needs a co writer to help flesh out their ideas.

[@jamescook4116]

Good summarization.

[@carlgrimeseyepatch27]

i love seeing indie stuff like this on movie screens HOWEVER i fell asleep during the monologue and feel like missed the POINT… did I? It wasn’t my fav but i want more movies that push boundaries of what we expect movies to be

[@esoteric76]

I honestly don’t know how Nick sat through this a second time. The movie was so unbelievably boring. The little dialogue we get is just basically repeated over and over again. Saw this at a packed theater at Lincoln Center and half the audience was asleep when the lights came up. Loved your review, but you couldn’t pay me to watch this again.

[@TWELVE-ax7]

The midnight realm itself is essentially the feelings and experiences, the parts of themselves that they choose to burry in their memory. Ironically they have to "burry" the part of themselves that has been nothing but a performance for so long in their lives in order to move on, to express the rest of themselves. "I know it's scary. That's part of it." is a line any queer person can relate to. Maddy has already moved on and seeing Owen across the 50 yard line is supposed to be the moment that Owen chooses to leave behind the childish performance. Yet, the fear gets the best of Owen as he says, "It's just like the Drain Lords. It's not real if I don't think about it." then tackles Maddy across that line. Owen wants to take that dive, wants to move on, wants to become Isabel but, sadly and almost horrifically he runs from it. there is stil/ time The ending of the movie from here on is showing the silent terror of what it's like to live with a part of yourself buried away.

[@aaron.ward.]

There seems to be an increasing number of films where the entire point is "it's a metaphor!" and then not really much beyond that.

[@christianobryant5768]

Exactly how I felt with Beau is afraid but that movie is so crazy you can at least appreciate the attempt of it.

[@AGamingEntity]

I mean a movie can be "it's a metaphor" if it's done well, good example is Synecdoche New York

[@AB-uz8sq]

the movie is not a metaphor. the movie is a very direct communicaton of the directors experience as a trans person.

[@PawsomePalsPetService]

For me the pink opaque was goosbebumps meets the power rangers meets uncanny valley in makeup design.

[@SendoAmeaçadoPerseguidoPorPMBA]

Nice review! Have you guys watched The Wailing 2016 Korean horror?. ❤❤.

[@fishjellyfilmreviews]

Yes, Nick owns it.

[@MissTraeHarris]

I’m a writer/actor and I can’t understand why soo many adults, so many of my peers even are stuck making films about teenagers that’s aren’t actually teenagers… it makes me cringe so hard

[@zlobna_bulka]

because teenagers aren't such good actors?

[@MissTraeHarris]

Not necessarily, i think the content is actually too mature for them but still features them… very much the vibe of Euphoria and shows like that

[@dovestone_]

Can’t speak for other films / tv but in this it was clearly because the characters age a lot throughout the film so it’s accounting for that

[@BrooklynWalka]

Decided to watch this on my flight… I should have taken the nap!

[@alexanderlafosta6035]

"Maddie looks like she doesn't sleep." lol

[@dovestone_]

I definitely liked this a lot more than Beau is afraid

[@davidkelsall6164]

Pity. I really enjoyed Schoenbrun's first film.

[@alobo9937]

Mee too!

[@fi8urefilms959]

Good chance you’ll enjoy it these guys shit on their debut

[@davidkelsall6164]

@@fi8urefilms959 Ah, good to know.

[@justinejustice_league1857]

The gym canopy scene represents childhood and its innocence and the imagination. The TV show even felt much scarier, which represents growing up and how frightening the world can be. The canopy deflating around Owen represents the end of his childhood. Owen is now a teenager who is completely sucked into the world of the pink opaque while everyone around him continues on with their lives. Maddy was older than Owen, so she already knew more about the show and herself but still struggled with her own identity as a lesbian in their not so progressive town. They both come from different backgrounds and upbringings which will put them on different trajectories even though they share similarities. Maddie essentially has to save herself after Owen sabotages the idea of running away together in search of self discovery. So she decides to cut off all ties with anybody who won't respect the journey, which is something many of us had to do. I believe Owen was also on the spectrum which made self identification and connecting with people outside of the T.V show even harder. I noticed at times that Owen would miss a lot of what Maddy was going through emotionally in her personal life and people with autism do have difficulties reading the emotions others. He even continues to call her Maddie after she repeatedly tells him not to. He completely rejects her story of self discovery and how she broke free of her depression upon their reunion. We find out that Maddie tried to help Owen see himself differently once before which felt good for a moment but he completely rejects even remembering this moment and Maddie's retelling of the show.... that they are indeed the pink opaque. Maddie fails to save Owen but how can you save someone who isn't ready to be saved? Maddie tells Owen that she paid a man 50 dollars to bury her alive which means she finally got therapy. She explains this experience as feeling like a death but being reborn. She was able to break free after totally surrendering herself to the truth and allowing a part of herself to die. Reaching inside of yourself like this isn't easy and many people don't make it out on the other side, which is Owen. Owen tells us that he never sees Maddie again after she fails to "find" him but I don't blame Maddie for this as she must practice self perseveration or risk falling back into the same nightmare. Its many years later and Owen is working a menial job and physically unwell having died a spiritual and mental death, which is something Maddie had been desperately trying to save him from. Mr. Melancholy has taken full control over Owen and he doesn't even realize how long he's been buried. I believe the luna juice represents substance abuse which many people use to help suppress the difficulties of life, when in actuality it keeps us trapped and controlled. The ending was so sad as Owen is completely in the throws of his own mental illness and nobody is responsive when he snaps. You're left wondering if Owen ever finds himself after he finally opens up his chest to reveal that he is indeed the pink opaque.

[@christianobryant5768]

Movie theater was awkwardly silent an waiting in the chairs after the credits lol. This movie made “Beau is afraid” feel like a short film an not in a good way.

[@AutumnOddity]

I saw Beau is afraid twice, first on edibles, and loved every second of it

[@christianobryant5768]

@@AutumnOddity amazing movie to b on drugs for lol

[@AJLovesMC12]

Same here! People were glued to their seats after the credits rolled on, and I was freaked out ngl! Like was I trapped in the Pink Opaque as well?!🤯😂

[@RyanABXY]

I think most of your issues are all intentional. It's very much like a tv show. Actors playing characters of ages that make no sense, actors being replaced unexpectedly, plot lines like cancer just going away, time passing in seconds through montage or titles.. overly complicated backstories.. I feel like I'm rambling now but ya. It wasn't perfect but it was a high 4 stars for me.

[@bimavision810]

The song when they was at the bar made me feel like that’s what the whole movie was about but definitely a lot of Ideas that diddnt get clarified and the narration was terrible it just seemed like they did not have the budget for what they where trying to convey and it fell short like a straight airball don’t waste your money… this is like Donnie darko sipping on lean slow… 🤪

[@OldheadMike]

I'm so mad that every review I've watched didn't mention Buffy in the inspirations especially considering the pink opaques credit text was a rip and not to mention fucking TARA was the mom of the kid he said he was staying the night at. Maybe I'm the one that was obsessed with a TV show as a kid lol oop

[@jayforpay7774]

Loved this movie so much and it pushed me to reach to my doctor about my gender identity issues, I think it’s one of those things that is so extremely specific not everyone will get it. And I don’t mean in a pretentious way it just is niche.

[@addictstatic]

All the bright places was a good justice smith movie

[@maryblasingame4083]

I haven’t seen the movie but a tear stained copy of the book worked it’s way through my friend group when I was a teen

[@cmmosher8035]

Just to add to the trans reading the song that features at the beginning and the chest scene is called Anthem fir a 17 year old girl. I have loved the original for years and i thought this was a cool cover.

[@soullessdhampir]

I was excited for this movie because I liked We're All Going to the Fair. Honestly i was more excited seeing Amber Benson in the movie. I was like omg is that amber Benson, and checked the cast and saw her name. Other than that i can agree with Justice Smith i kinda found his voice annoying in this movie, and 9th grade Maddy's wig was terrible you could tell it was a wig instantly. I thought The Pink Opaque, was giving me a very live action sailor moon, power rangers, and 1st season of Buffy the vampire slayer vibes. I definitely could pick up on the identity focus, and trans allegory. I thought at first when it started with the parachute game the giant parachute color looked like the bi flag, so at first i thought Owen would explore bisexuality identity. An interesting aspect is how Owen constantly talks to the audience like he's narrating his life which definitely parallels maddy's monologue where she mentions feeling like life is a tv show and having a narrator. But other than that the movie was okay.

[@mgreenester]

This is my favorite movie of the year. Of course they're not going to smile. They're in the midnight realm. There is so much to this movie I had to watch it twice.

[@SugarPills111]

I loved we are all going to the world fair so I can't wait to check this out

[@SASHAMIRANDAA]

Where can we see this film?

[@aleksnekrasov987]

It’s playing at my local Alamo Drafthouse. Maybe you have one too. But I’m sure you can find something else nearby probably

[@tsujic166]

Had to come here before I watched it.

[@CDIII]

I think you missed the entire point of this film. It's about the repression and gender dysphoria of Owen and the sexuality of Maggie, who ultimately has the strength to go through the darkness to get to the light (being buried alive), meaning...accepting her sexuality. She tries to convince Owen to accept himself and he cannot, therefore, he grows older unable to accept who he truly is. Both characters are parallel to the characters of The Pink Opaque. In the final scenes when Owen has a mental breakdown, cuts his chest open to reveal the tv static emerging from his chest, he sees his true nature..and yet, apologizes the the very people who fail to even acknowledge him. It's a bleak ending for Owen, but I don't think for Maggie.

[@fi8urefilms959]

The Sloppy Jane scene broke me.

[@believer773]

So far all the reviews I've seen of this have divided on age lines, the younger the reviewer the more they liked it. But none have been bad just ok-to rave

[@AceZachrocks123]

Sad y'all didn't like it that much I couldn't stop thinking about it since i left SXSW and i just kept reading more into it and have grown to love it. But I can see what you wouldn't enjoy in it. Great review still guys. ❤

[@gjhartist3685]

I liked it but i get why some wouldn't

[@IloveGorgeousGeorge]

That monologue at the end of the 2nd act had me in tears. Not because I was so emotionally moved, but because I was so checked out and nauseous from how bored I was from the movie. Maddie staring into the screen, dead-eyed, while speaking in this allegory for like 6 minutes straight about being buried alive just completely lost me. By the end of the movie, I just felt like "How many times are we going to 'examine' 90's nostalgia like its the worst experience a human being can fo through?" The way lines are delivered was frustrating, its the same reason why I bounced off of Drive the first time I watched it. The worst part of it is any time I try to engage in discussion or criticism of this movie, I'm dismissed as "Oh, congratulations you must have had a good childhood", completely invalidating my experiences and opinions because I'm a straight man. Straight men like art and art discussion too.

[@bimavision810]

I fux w justice since the get down but this was NOT it

[@sarabrucker7847]

I see a lot in this film for autistic or other neurodivergent people to relate to as well. Living in a world where most people act a certain way automatically but for some it takes conscious effort

[@trilbynhiss]

I'm not a deep thinker so I have no idea what this means, but I got the same uneasy vibes as I got watching It Follows.

[@isaiahallen6139]

Glowing chest ending, thanks, wont be watching this 😂 sounds borning asf.

[@averagecho6614]

God, this movie was the worst I've watched in years. You want a movie that explores trans people way better? Watch Tangerine. Jane Schoenbrun has their head up their ass, and I'm so happy that they showed their (lack of) talent with this movie. Makes it easy to pass on any of their other works

[@DetroitRed6]

13:34 well damn..

[@MadailinBurnhope]

I loved We're All Going to the World's Fair

[@MadailinBurnhope]

I totally agree about Rose McGowan, eww

[@MadailinBurnhope]

might it work better for someone with shared transfemme trauma? (me lol)

[@cmmosher8035]

​@@MadailinBurnhopei really enjoyed it as 40 ish cis guy but i had a really rough teens in the 90s snd escaped into to fiction/fantasy to escape my trauma (i still do). I thought it was one of the better movies of the year so far.

[@user-if4ux9io8q]

Why haven’t you watched Till?

[@OxChiquitaXo]

Are you guys reviewing Tarot?

[@fishjellyfilmreviews]

No

[@pretty_raya]

I love y’all 😂

[@jay-dubb.dubb.68]

It's not in the cards...😮🎉🀄🎴🃏 🥁

[@OxChiquitaXo]

@@jay-dubb.dubb.68 good one lol

[@Robertando]

It bored me to tears

[@badoublenana]

Are there non gay homosexuals?

[@fishjellyfilmreviews]

Gay = happy

[@badoublenana]

@@fishjellyfilmreviews OH, my bad.

[@TrevyTrev-andTheFunkyPets]

I love weird movies but My God I haven’t watched one that was interesting or I enjoyed in awhile. Thanks for watching and reviewing so I don’t waste my time.

[@robbielex]

I'm gonna see this for the simple and admittedly shallow reason that I feel BLP is one of the most gorgeous humans on this planet.

[@JohnSmith-wi4xo]

5:30

[@MonsieurTarzan-g3m]

I wanted to feel sympathy for the girl, but she seems kind of aggressively closed off and relentlessly bored and depressed. After awhile I just lost interest. But listening to this interview made me wonder if the reason I sympathized with the girl but felt rebuffed was because although I am not gay I was identifying with her alienation and depression. You don't have to be LBGTQ to feel alienated. But the boy didn't seem sexual at all. There was no sexual tension between these two. He wasn't kind of a stand-in for a straight viewer. Again, with him all I felt was relentless boredom and depression. These two were exhausting.

[@TheInstantClassic86]

It was the most pretentious movie I’ve ever seen.

[@channelnametobedecidedlol86]

what is that even supposed to mean

[@21stcenturyhiphop]

​@@channelnametobedecidedlol86 It was the most pretentious movie they've ever seen.

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

What a grungy little wierdo of a movie

[@saiyamoru]

Bruh. Is it just me or was this a creepypasta from /x/ circa 2014? This director literally just ripped off an anon on 4chan and applied a gender filter.

[@peanutbuttergoblin7129]

Awesome review. Not an awesome movie

[@WicketdeBarricada]

If you completely miss that it's about being trans then I'm sure it wouldn't make sense.

[@cedriccrawford4231]

Ah yes! No matter what the genre, there is always room for identity politics/representation!... Hard pass