With an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, an upcoming horror movie seems to perfect one of A24‘s biggest trends. A little over a decade after being founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, A24 has risen in the ranks as one of the most reliable film distribution and production companies. Almost always, the mere appearance of the A24 logo before a film, especially if it belongs to the horror genre, is a marker of quality, innovative storytelling, and character-driven narratives.

After ending 2023 on a high note with successful movies like The Iron Claw and Talk To Me, A24 seems to have an incredible roster of film distributions lined up for 2024. One of these is a highly acclaimed horror flick and is already being touted as one of the best potential 2024 films of the genre. However, what makes this upcoming horror movie even more exciting is that it masters one beloved A24 trend.

Related

A24’s Massively Hyped New Horror Movie Is Strangely Reminiscent Of A 15-Year-Old Creepypasta Story

A24’s new critically acclaimed horror film follows an original narrative but seems strangely reminiscent of a forgotten 15-year-old creepypasta story.

A24 Movies’ Visual Style & Lighting Explained

A24’s films are often associated with artistic integrity

Since A24 is a film distributor, with each of its distributed films having its own distinct creative team, it would be unfair to say that all A24 movies have the same visual elements. However, a closer look at the entertainment company’s production and distribution choices makes it hard not to notice how many films with the A24 tag speak a similar visual language. For instance, many A24 movies and shows adopt character-driven stories in which lighting is used as a key narrative device to reflect a character’s emotional state and inhibitions.

The emphasis on flashy and often neon-esque lighting in many A24 movies and shows creates an intimate and atmospheric ambiance for viewers, allowing them to wholly immerse themselves in what they are watching. One of the biggest reasons A24’s visuals feel so compelling and distinct from mainstream films is that the company has a long history of working with creative art house cinema directors like Ari Aster, Alex Garland, Robert Eggers, and Darren Aronofsky, among others. Production houses and distributors rarely receive credit for a movie’s quality — or lack thereof.

However, A24’s long history of producing and distributing films made by creative and often indie powerhouses has allowed the company to build a good reputation among moviegoers. Interestingly, when director Harmony Korine first pitched Spring Breakers, which was one of the first few A24 films that helped the studio garner some attention, he said (via Vice) he wanted it to be “a Britney Spears-video-meets-a-Gaspar-Noé film.” While not all A24 films and shows have the “Britney Spears-video-meets-a-Gaspar-Noé film” aesthetic, many do adopt experimental and boundary-pushing visual elements that echo Korine’s description.

I Saw The TV Glow Makes A24’s Style A Key Part Of The Story

From neon-lit esthetics to synthwave music, I Saw the TV Glow has it all

I Saw The TV Glow seems to perfectly capture the visual style associated with A24 films. As its title suggests, the movie often adopts a bright neon color palette, which reflects the eerie glow emitted from a television screen in a semi-darkened room. Since I Saw The TV Glow has been helmed by indie director Jane Schoenbrun, it also has other visual aspects that seem reminiscent of previous films produced and distributed by the media company.

While a trailer alone does not reflect the final product, viewers may notice how several scenes inI Saw The TV Glow‘s trailer adopt experimental editing involving jumpcuts and rapid transitions between shots. There is also a sense of campiness to the film’s visuals, giving the impression that, like several other A24 films,it is self-aware and willing to play with the horror genre’s conventions.I Saw The TV Glow‘s visuals are further complemented by a nostalgic and retro-futuristic version of Broken Social Scene’s “Anthem for Seventeen-Year-Old Girl,” which is perfectly in sync with the film’s neon-lit imagery.

Why I Saw The TV Glow’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So High

I Saw the TV Glow has both memorable visuals and storytelling

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw The TV Glow currently stands at a 90% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics seem to unanimously agree that the film’s imagery is hauntingly beautiful, staying with viewers long after the credits start rolling. Shedding light on I Saw The TV Glow‘s thematic elements, Matthew Jackson (via AV Club) highlighted how the film draws “a remarkable portrait of pop-culture obsession — how it can unite us, change us, and ripple down through our entire lives in ways both uplifting and unsettling.“

Other critics also talked about how the film defies the horror genre’s tropes, which is expected from an A24 film. Kate Sánchez (via But Why Tho? A Geek Community) even called it a potential “cult classic in the vein of the television series it immortalizes through The Pink Opaque.” Some reviewers even mentioned how brilliantly director Jane Schoenbrun captures themes of escapism and denial of one’s true identity in A24‘s I Saw The TV Glow.

I Saw the TV Glow

I Saw the TV Glow is a horror film by writer-director Jane Schoenbrun, released in 2024. A young man named Owen is introduced to a late-night TV show that reflects their reality. As the two begin to bond over the series, it suddenly is canceled, causing Owen’s view of reality to shatter.

Director

Jane Schoenbrun

Release Date

January 18, 2024

Studio(s)

Smudge Films , Fruit Tree

Distributor(s)

A24

Writers

Jane Schoenbrun

Cast

Justice Smith , Brigette Lundy-Paine , Danielle Deadwyler , Fred Durst , Helena Howard , Ian Foreman

Runtime

100 Minutes