Set in a nondescript, middle-class suburb of Wherever USA, circa sometime in the ’90s, I Saw the TV Glow, written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, is thoroughly chilling. The cold creeps up on you insidiously through the maddening commonplaceness of the generically tidy streets and sidewalks and little houses that all look just the same. It’s tinged with the niggling sense that no place could possibly be that bland. And that very blandness is an integral part of the horror that’s unleashed — not by messing around with ancient spells or accidentally unleashing some slumbering Big Bad, but by watching a TV show.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Maitland on Movies to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.