Review

I feel mixed about I Saw the TV Glow. I enjoyed the performances, I liked the ambience and the vibes. The general feel of the movie was great, and yes I very much get the allegory going on. The emotions are there. The thing I've discovered, I think, is that I don't like movies that generally only work on an allegorical level. My problem is that the subtext is screaming so loud it is just text, in my mind. So what's going on at the base level in this film? It's fairly unclear to me. I think having a largely allegorical film largely works best when the film itself, the direct events that are happening make sense and are a story unto themselves. The allegory enriches the main events and the main events (if done well) provide the structure for the allegory to take place in. And I dunno if that happened in this one. I don't really feel like I'll watch it again, and for me that's a hallmark of the main events of the movies not being engaging enough. I know the thing so what point is there in watching it again? But as I said, it most definitely an affecting film.

The Mr. Melancholy scene was great, it was honestly fairly Lynchian in its power. That feeling of a wretched surreal thing happening in front of you that you are desperate to stop. Very good effects in him. Another standout scene was the punk band scene. Excellent screaming. I would say that the film at the end of the day is hopeful, which I'm glad for. The ending on its face is an incredible downer. But we see the film directly telling us, before we get to that scene that "We still have time." It's a powerful message, and one I've seen crop up in a number of places. Disco Elysium the foremost example on my mind.