A24 has become home to some of the most brilliant and unique filmmakers of our times and their equally brilliant projects in recent years. Next up in horror from the award-winning banner is I Saw the TV Glow, their latest horror-thriller that promises a horror story like none you have seen before. Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun in her second feature directorial after We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, the film tells the story of two friends bonding over their favorite television series from their childhood.

In I Saw the TV Glow, a young Owen is introduced to The Pink Opaque by his friend Maddy, who is already a devoted fan of the monster-thriller show. Years later, when they are older and the show is canceled, Maddy experiences strange occurrences that make her question reality. What started as an innocent, childish craze for a TV program soon turns into a nightmare, when Maddy goes missing and Owen also becomes a victim of horrifying events just like they see in the show.

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine lead the film’s ensemble cast as Owen and Maddy, respectively, along with Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Fred Durst, and Danielle Deadwyler in various roles. The film also features a soundtrack with original music from Sloppy Jane, Phoebe Bridgers, and Snail Mail.

From its initial screenings and promos at the film festival circuit earlier this year, I Saw the TV Glow has received glowing reviews and has been widely acclaimed for Schoenbrun’s exceptional approach to storytelling by blending nostalgia, horror, and trans allegories into a gripping horror-thriller. Collider’s Ross Bonaime describes it as the film in his review as:

"…bold, unhinged, extremely unusual, and also kind of magnificent—a daring step forward for Schoenbrun as a filmmaker, and a film that will certainly divide audiences not sure what the hell to make of it… Much like The Pink Opaque, I Saw the TV Glow is a movie that will draw you into the screen and dare you to let go."

Check out the guide below to learn about the film’s showtimes at your nearest theater and when and where you can watch I Saw the TV Glow.

When Is the Release Date for 'I Saw the TV Glow'?

I Saw the TV Glow had its limited release on Friday, May 3, 2024, joining a list of highly anticipated films releasing the same month: IF, The Fall Guy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Garfield Movie, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The acclaimed horror film will have its wide theatrical release on Friday, May 17, 2024.

A24’s latest horror thriller first premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it was showcased in the festival’s Midnight segment, followed by the screening at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024, and at the South by Southwest in March 2024.

Is 'I Saw the TV Glow' in Theaters?

I Saw the TV Glow is exclusively playing in movie theaters for the time being. The movie is already playing in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles but is set to expand into theaters nationwide on May 17, 2024. The movie will eventually be made available to stream on the Max streaming service, alongside other recent A24 movies such as The Iron Claw, The Zone of Interest, and Priscilla.

Find Showtimes for 'I Saw the TV Glow'

Check out the links below to find out the showtimes for I Saw the TV Glow and book tickets, and/or get more details about the latest horror film, playing at your nearest theater.

Watch the Trailer for 'I Saw the TV Glow'

The official trailer for I Saw the TV Glow, which was released by A24 in February 2024, sets the tone for what you can expect to discover in I Saw the TV Glow and makes you wonder what happens when the lines between fiction and reality get blurred.

The footage opens with Brigette Lundy-Paine’s Maddy and Justice Smith’s Owen discussing an old horror TV show, The Pink Opaque, that they used to watch when they were younger. The scenes then cut to their childhood days when they meet because of their shared interest in the same horror series, where Maddy is already an ardent fan (reading episode guides et al.) and introduces Owen to that world. But over the years, The Pink Opaque seems to have affected Maddy more deeply than it did Owen or any of their other friends. And now, years later, in their 20s, Maddy experiences the show seeping into their life and has started to believe that the show’s supernatural world exists underneath their own (similar to the concept of Stranger Things, but not quite), while Owen only sees it as “just a TV show” that they used to watch as kids. When the series is mysteriously canceled and Maddy suddenly vanishes without a trace, except for a burning old TV set, Owen is faced with reality-bending incidents. He begins to revisit everything he knows and understands about the show and what Maddy believes, which sends him down a terrifying path to the other side of the screen.

The two-minute trailer of I Saw the TV Glow feels like a homage to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, and 90s late-night horror television shows like Tales from the Crypt, which genre fans are sure to enjoy. While Owen and Maddy’s fandom of The Pink Opaque speaks of their obsession with a fictional world, it also feels symbolic of the queer experience that lets them be a part of something magical and more relatable than the real world from which they often feel disconnected.

TV-Based Horror Films Like 'I Saw the TV Glow' You Can Watch Right Now

The latest A24 horror title, while definitely unique, also shares elements with some of the most popular modern classic horrors centered on television, particularly those from the 80s and 90s, where TV sets/screens are depicted as a terrifying, supernatural entity or a portal to a world of horror, like these, for instance –

'The Ring' (2002)

This 2002 Hollywood film is Gore Verbinski’s (Pirates of the Caribbean) adaptation and remake of the 1998 Japanese film, Ring by Hideo Nakata, based on Koji Suzuki’s eponymous novel. Starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Jane Alexander, and Brian Cox, The Ring follows Rachel Keller (Watts), a journalist who discovers a “cursed” videotape that kills the viewer seven days after they watch it. On its release, the film had mixed reviews but was highly praised for Verbinski’s direction and Watts’ performance, and also became a huge box-office success. The Ring became the first major American remake of a Japanese horror film and its success paved the way for more such successful remakes, like The Grudge, Dark Water, and Shutter. It spawned two sequels, The Ring Two and Rings.

Watch on Prime Video

'Videodrome' (1983)

Another classic horror film centered on television, Videodrome, also explores the physicality of television and its disturbing relationship with the viewer. Set in Toronto in the early 1980s, this 1983 Canadian sci-fi horror follows

"Max Renn, the CEO of a small UHF television station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal of snuff films. Layers of deception and mind-control conspiracy unfold as he attempts to uncover the signal's source, complicated by increasingly intense hallucinations that cause him to lose his grasp on reality."

Quite like I Saw the TV Glow’s Maddy, Videodrome’s Max also has his life revolving around television, where he experiences the inexplicable power that technology has over him and his perception of reality. Directed by David Cronenberg, a pioneer in the body horror genre, it stars James Woods (Once Upon a Time in America) and Blondie's Debbie Harry. Considered a cult classic, Videodrome is regarded as one of Cronenberg’s best and acclaimed for exploring a “techno-surrealist” aesthetic and intensely cryptic and psychosexual themes that became a benchmark for body horror and sci-fi horrors.

Buy on Prime Video

'Poltergeist' (1982)

Another cult classic from the 80s, Poltergeist also explores how the TV set becomes an entryway into a powerful and sinister world beyond our/the protagonist’s reality. The 1982 supernatural horror is the brainchild of Steven Spielberg, who penned the screenplay with Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Directed by Tobe Hooper of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre fame, Poltergeist follows a suburban family whose dream home and life turn into their worst nightmare when evil spirits abduct their youngest daughter and possess her soul. On its release, the film was a major critical and commercial success and became the eighth highest-grossing film of 1982. Since its release, there have been two sequels and a 2015 remake, but the original film remains the most successful and popular. Often recognized as a horror classic, Poltergeist has also served as a significant inspiration for generations of genre films to follow. A series adaptation of the 1982 film is said to be in development since 2023, with Spielberg involved in the writing and production.

Watch on MGM+