When Martin Scorsese talks, the film world usually stops to listen. It’s not just because he’s the guy who made Goodfellas or Taxi Driver; it’s because he’s basically the high priest of cinema preservation. So, when word started circulating that Martin Scorsese found Jane Schoenbrun’s A24 horror-drama I Saw the TV Glow to be a significant work, people were, understandably, a bit shook. You’ve got a 80-plus-year-old titan of the New Hollywood era championing a neon-soaked, lo-fi, queer-coded nightmare about a fictional 90s TV show. It feels like a collision of two totally different universes.
But honestly? It makes perfect sense.
Scorsese has been banging the drum for years about the death of "cinema" at the hands of "content." To him, cinema isn't just a plot you follow while eating popcorn. It’s an aesthetic experience. It’s a risk. I Saw the TV Glow is nothing if not a massive, vibrating risk.
The Viral Moment Martin Scorsese Met I Saw the TV Glow
The connection between the legend and the indie darling isn't just some internet rumor. During an interview with the Associated Press in late 2024, Scorsese was asked about the current state of movies and what actually excites him. He didn’t list off the latest billion-dollar blockbuster. Instead, he pointed toward the fringes. He specifically highlighted the "visual language" of Jane Schoenbrun’s work. He mentioned that he had seen I Saw the TV Glow and was struck by its atmosphere.
Think about that.
A man who grew up on the gritty streets of the Bowery and the black-and-white classics of Italian Neorealism is sitting down to watch a movie where Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine obsess over a show called The Pink Opaque. It’s a wild mental image. But Scorsese’s appreciation for the film actually validates everything Schoenbrun was trying to do. He saw the craftsmanship. He saw the way the film used color and sound to evoke a feeling of "the void" that most modern movies are too scared to touch.
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Why the "Scorsese Stamp" Matters for Indie Horror
Let’s be real: indie film is struggling. Between the crumbling of the traditional box office and the rise of the "straight-to-streaming" sludge, getting a weird movie noticed is harder than ever. When Martin Scorsese mentions a film like I Saw the TV Glow, it acts as a cultural life raft.
It’s about E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Scorsese is the ultimate "E" in that equation. If he says a movie is worth your time because it challenges the medium, a whole segment of cinephiles who might have dismissed it as "too TikTok" or "too Gen Z" suddenly pay attention.
The movie itself is a surrealist trip. It follows Owen, a kid who finds a sense of belonging in a supernatural TV show, only for that show to be canceled, leaving him stuck in a reality that feels increasingly "wrong." It’s a metaphor for the trans experience, sure, but it’s also a metaphor for the way media consumes us. Scorsese, a man who has spent his entire life being consumed by images, likely felt a kinship with that theme. He’s always been obsessed with how people project their identities onto the screen.
It’s Not Just About "The Pink Opaque"
One thing most people get wrong about this endorsement is thinking Scorsese just likes the "vibe." He’s a technical nerd. He likes the way Schoenbrun uses 35mm film. He likes the grain. He likes the fact that the movie looks like it’s leaking light.
In an era where every Marvel movie looks like it was shot inside a sterile Tupperware container, I Saw the TV Glow feels tactile. It feels messy. There are scenes where the screen just turns into a blur of static and purple neon. For a director who fought the studios to keep the "mistakes" in his films because they felt more human, that kind of stylistic choice is like catnip.
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The Disconnect: Auteur vs. Content
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: the "Marvel vs. Cinema" debate. Scorsese famously said those movies are like theme parks. People got mad. They’re still mad. But his support of I Saw the TV Glow proves his point wasn't about being an old curmudgeon who hates fun. It was about his desire for movies to have a soul.
I Saw the TV Glow is deeply uncomfortable. It’s lonely. It has a scene involving a man screaming in a planetarium that is genuinely one of the most haunting things put to film in the 2020s. It doesn’t try to sell you a toy. It tries to break your heart.
The Technical Artistry That Caught His Eye
If you look at the cinematography by Eric Yue, you can see why a master like Scorsese would be impressed. They used specific lighting rigs to mimic the flicker of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) television. It’s not just a filter; it’s a physical interaction with light.
- Grain Structure: The film has a heavy, intentional grain that makes it feel like an old memory.
- Color Theory: The contrast between the boring, beige "real world" and the hyper-saturated purples of the TV world.
- Pacing: It’s slow. It’s agonizingly slow in parts. Scorsese has always advocated for the "slow burn."
Justice Smith’s performance is also a factor. He plays Owen with a hollowed-out, quiet desperation that is rare in young actors today. There’s no "main character energy" here; there’s just a person trying not to disappear. Scorsese has always been a director of "the character," focusing on the internal rot or redemption of men. Owen fits right into that lineage, even if he’s wearing a different kind of costume than Travis Bickle.
Misconceptions About the Scorsese/Schoenbrun Link
Some critics tried to frame this as a "passing of the torch." That’s a bit dramatic. Scorsese isn't retiring tomorrow, and Schoenbrun isn't the "new Scorsese"—they are doing entirely different things. What’s actually happening is a recognition of originality.
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People often think Scorsese only likes "mob movies." Wrong. Look at his documentary work on world cinema. Look at his restoration project, The Film Foundation. He loves everything from Senegalese dramas to Polish avant-garde. His interest in I Saw the TV Glow is just an extension of his lifelong obsession with the "moving image." He sees a filmmaker who isn't trying to follow a formula.
Why You Should Care
If you haven't seen the film, you might wonder if it’s just hype. It’s not for everyone. If you want a clear beginning, middle, and end where the hero saves the day, you will hate this movie. You will walk away confused and probably a little bit annoyed.
But if you want to see what happens when a filmmaker is given the freedom to put their literal nightmares on screen, this is it. It’s a movie that demands you look at it. It’s a movie that stays in your teeth like a piece of tough meat.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Cinephile
To really appreciate why this connection matters, you’ve got to do a little homework. Don't just take a headline's word for it.
- Watch "I Saw the TV Glow" on the biggest screen possible. The sound design is half the experience. The soundtrack features artists like Caroline Polachek and King Woman, and it’s meant to be felt in your chest.
- Compare it to Scorsese's "After Hours." If you want to see where their styles overlap, watch Scorsese’s 1985 cult classic. Both films deal with a protagonist trapped in a surreal, nightmarish version of a city they thought they knew.
- Read Jane Schoenbrun’s interviews. They are incredibly articulate about the "death of the monoculture." They talk about how we used to all watch the same things, and now we are all isolated in our own little digital bubbles.
- Support independent theaters. Movies like this don't survive on Netflix alone. They need the communal experience of a dark room and a loud projector.
I Saw the TV Glow is a reminder that the "magic of the movies" isn't dead—it just looks different than it used to. It’s weirder. It’s more colorful. And apparently, it has the seal of approval from the greatest living director. That’s enough for me.
To get the most out of this cinematic crossover, track down the physical 4K release of the film if you can. The digital compression on streaming services often kills the very grain and shadow detail that Scorsese praised. Seeing the film in its rawest, highest-bitrate form allows you to see the "visual language" of the 35mm stock exactly as it was intended. Once you’ve finished the film, look into the works of Maya Deren or David Lynch, as these are the DNA strands that connect Scorsese’s classicism to Schoenbrun’s neon-drenched modernism.