The 2025 awards season has not been kind to one amazing horror movie. Even though the Oscars and Golden Globes have recognized recent horror successes like The Substance and Nosferatu, one of 2024’s best titles received zero major awards show nominations. I Saw the TV Glow is an excellent and important work of filmmaking that has received widespread praise. Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, the A24 movie follows a teenager named Owen (Justice Smith), whose friend Maddy (Jack Haven) introduces him to a late-night horror TV program called “The Pink Opaque.” The show and its villain Mr. Melancholy quickly grab hold of Owen and Maddy, who bond over their experience as isolated teens searching for their identity. Owen and Maddy eventually come to realize that the characters in “The Pink Opaque” are mirrors of themselves.

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I Saw the TV Glow impressed some of the film industry’s biggest names, including Martin Scorsese, who, when speaking with the Associated Press, described the movie as “emotionally and psychologically powerful.” Moreover, I Saw the TV Glow performed well in terms of critical reception, earning a 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a Metacritic score of 86. I Saw the TV Glow should have garnered a lot more consideration for awards because it’s expertly directed by Schoenbrun, features outstanding acting performances, and provides an authentic portrait of the experience lived by transgender young adults.

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I Saw the TV Glow Is An Extremely Underrated Horror Movie

It’s hard to believe I Saw the TV Glow has fallen so far under the radar during awards season. First of all, the movie’s alluring color palette features deep blues and pinks, clearly symbolizing the colors of the trans pride flag. Outside of I Saw the TV Glow‘s visual appeal, the film centers on valuable themes regarding teenage isolation relating to sexual and gender identities. Schoenbrun’s script paired with Smith and Haven’s interpretation of this journey through their characters makes for an emotionally resonant narrative rife with symbolism. I Saw the TV Glow‘s many intricate details throughout its 1990s setting encourage multiple viewings to understand its depth.

Although I Saw the TV Glow isn’t overly scary for a horror film, it exudes an unsettling atmosphere that illustrates just how frightening it can be to live one’s life while suppressing their real self. Schoenbrun highlights this through Owen’s chronic depression as he grows older, which contrasts with Maddy’s experience of self-discovery when she moves away from their suburban hometown. The allegory of I Saw the TV Glow‘s plot creates a fascinating window into gender identity struggles. In fact, Schoenbrun penned the script shortly after coming out as transgender and nonbinary. Beyond its existence as a great horror film, I Saw the TV Glow prevails at a time of increased vitriol directed at the trans community. Now more than ever, it’s essential to represent the experience of trans individuals through art.

Major Awards Shows Are Still Overlooking Horror Films, & That Needs to Change

For the most part, horror is still on the outside looking in when it comes to major awards shows. Since its release in May 2024, I Saw the TV Glow has generated conversations surrounding the movie’s brilliance, but apparently none of the buzz has reached the Oscars or Golden Globes. The Substance‘s five Oscar nominations and Golden Globe win (from five nominations) offers a glimmer of hope that voting committees will broaden their horizons to include more horror projects in the future, but it’s still puzzling that a well-made movie such as I Saw the TV Glow was excluded from the field of nominees.

I Saw the TV Glow may have been shut out of this year’s Golden Globes and Oscars, but the film’s lack of prestigious accolades should not define its value to the horror genre and to cinema at large. Movie fans looking for a meaningful story with excellent production and acting quality can find an underrated gem in I Saw the TV Glow. Schoenbrun’s masterpiece is likely to age incredibly well, and film audiences will undoubtedly continue to question why the Oscars and Golden Globes failed to give the movie its flowers.

I Saw the TV Glow is currently available to stream on Max.