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Entertainment
Michael Balderston

I Saw the TV Glow: release date, trailer, cast and everything we know about the A24 horror movie

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine in I Saw the TV Glow.

A24 and the Sundance Film Festival have been a great combination in recent years, and they're at it again as I Saw the TV Glow premiered at the marquee US film festival and is set to be among the more intriguing 2024 new movie options.

Just in 2023 alone, Sundance served as the launching pad for major A24 movies Past Lives and Talk to Me. In 2024, the mini-studio/distributor also showed the Kristen Stewart movie Love Lies Bleeding at the fest, in addition to I Saw the TV Glow. The latter horror movie earned rave reviews from those who saw it at the festival, including calling it "a one-of-a-kind masterpiece," which should get moviegoers excited to see it. 

With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about I Saw the TV Glow.

I Saw the TV Glow release date

A24 is releasing I Saw the TV Glow exclusively in movie theaters on May 3. That is the US release date, and at this time, we’re not sure when it'll premiere in other regions, including the UK.

The May 3 release comes after the movie, again, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. That's not the only major festival it has played; it screened at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated Best Feature and Best First Feature, and is playing at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival as well.

Also set to release in movie theaters in May is the Ryan Gosling action comedy The Fall Guy.

I Saw the TV Glow cast

The two main members of the I Saw the TV Glow cast are Justice Smith, who plays Owen, and Brigette Lundy-Paine, playing Maddy. 

Smith has been a rising star over the last few years, appearing in the likes of The Get Down, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Generation, Sharper and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. He also has another 2024 movie in addition to I Saw the TV Glow, the satire The American Society of Magical Negroes.

Lundy-Paine has also been building up their resume in their young career. Among their most notable roles were Atypical, Bombshell and Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Other members of the I Saw the TV Glow cast include Ian Foreman (Let the Right One In) as young Owen, Helena Howard (The Wilds) as Isabel, Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) as Frank and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) as Brenda.

I Saw the TV Glow plot

An original script written by Jane Schoenbrun, here is the official synopsis for I Saw the TV Glow:

"Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen's view of reality begins to crack."

I Saw the TV Glow trailer

Watch the official, trippy trailer for I Saw the TV Glow right here: 

I Saw the TV Glow reviews

Early reviews for I Saw the TV Glow are already in after it has premiered at multiple film festivals. The buzz is strong, as it currently has a "Fresh" rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Among the plaudits, critics have described the movie as "exquisitely surreal" and "daring," and heralds director Jane Schoenbrun as "a major cinematic talent."

Jane Schoenbrun movies

Jane Schoenbrun is still a new director in Hollywood, but she previously made some noise with her movie, We're All Going to the World's Fair, which earned a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. She also directed the movie A Self-Induced Hallucination.

(Image credit: A24)
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