I Saw the TV Glow, director Jane Schoenbrun’s new emo-horror flick, is now out in theaters. But can you catch it streaming? Here’s what we know right now.
I Saw the TV Glow follows a teenager named Owen (Justice Smith), who forms a friendship with the reclusive Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) over a cable TV show in the ’90s. The show, called The Pink Opaque, features two teens who use a psychic link to fight weekly monsters. With nods to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and other vintage TV shows, Owen and Maddy’s fascination with The Pink Opaque explores fandom and identity against a horror backdrop.
But Owen and Maddy gradually begin to suspect that there’s more to The Pink Opaque than they first thought. Is it just a TV show, or is there a hidden reality that Owen and Maddy can get to if they try?
After a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and a limited release on May 3, I Saw the TV Glow has earned critical acclaim, with a Rotten Tomatoes score currently at 87%. The film has its wide release on May 17.
The film certainly has some scary parts, but its brand of horror isn’t your usual jump-scare fright fest. Instead, I Saw the TV Glow explores themes of identity—especially trans awakenings—through a meandering, atmospheric story with equal parts beauty and dread.
If you’re hoping to catch I Saw the TV Glow on streaming right now, you’re out of luck. Currently, the film is only playing in theaters. However, thanks to distributor A24’s other recent releases, we can form a rough idea of when I Saw the TV Glow will hit streaming platforms.
For instance, The Iron Claw, the A24 movie about professional wrestlers the Von Erich brothers, hit theaters on December 22, and had its digital release on February 13. After that, the film hit Max—thanks to a licensing deal that grants Max streaming rights to A24 films—on May 10.
Similarly, Love Lies Bleeding, A24’s pulp thriller about a body builder and her lover, came out in theaters on March 8 and went to digital on April 26. Love Lies Bleeding doesn’t have a streaming release date yet.
Based on that data, I Saw the TV Glow may see a digital and video on demand release in June or July, with a streaming release on Max in late summer or fall 2024. All that is guesswork, though.
For now, if you want to see what the fuss is about, you’ll need to see it in the theater.
