2024 has brought two major movies to light on the topic of trans voices and representation. A24’s I Saw the TV Glow and Netflix’s Will & Harper both illustrate the struggle of gender identity and acceptance in America but in vastly different ways. (Spoilers will be mentioned below.)
Jane Schoenbrun’s 2024 film I Saw the TV Glow depicts two high school students Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Owen (Justice Smith) obsessing over a TV series titled The Pink Opaque. However, the movie has much more to say than just showing two teens bonding over a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-inspired show.
The Pink Opaque follows two teen girls with supernatural powers and the ability to communicate through the psychic plane. They fight monsters each week that are under the control of a larger villain named Mr. Melancholy. Unfortunately, the show is tragically canceled and Maddy leaves town leaving Owen alone and without answers.
Maddy returns and reveals to Owen that she believes they are actually the two protagonists in The Pink Opaque who are now trapped in a different reality. The show’s final episode had one of the girls buried alive, hinting at the suppression of Owen’s identity he has been struggling with throughout the film. The viewers then see a replaying of scenes with Owen and Maddy in The Pink Opaque where Owen is seen to be dressed more femininely.
Upon Maddy’s return, Owen denies her theory, and, thus, further suppresses his identity. The film ends with Owen working at a children’s birthday party. He has a breakdown, or perhaps a realization, and cuts into his chest, revealing a beautiful light.
On the surface, I Saw the TV Glow is a dark and slightly unsettling film, but it has much more to say about trans narratives.
According to James Grebey, Owen’s story illustrates the idea of “eggs,” which is used to describe trans people who do not realize they are trans yet. Grebey states, “His identification with The Pink Opaque is an outlet for feelings he hasn’t been able—or perhaps is unwilling—to express. Seeing yourself, or a version of the ‘you’ you could be, in a piece of pop culture is a shared universal experience.”
Upon looking back through the film, the symbolization of trans representation is clear in various scenes, making the finale all that more impactful.
Though tackling a similar topic, Netflix’s Will & Harper has a very different tone. The film follows Will Ferrell and his trans friend Harper Steele on a road trip across the United States. Will & Harper is an honest look at how Ferrell and Steele, who publicly came out as trans in 2021 after working decades on Saturday Night Live and alongside Ferrell, navigate their relationship and what it’s like to be trans in America.
Ferrell and Steele tackle questions that most people might be too afraid to ask and venture into parts of the country that are not as accepting of trans rights. The movie is a perfect blend of comedy, adventure, and honest conversations that will bring you to tears. Will & Harper is a more straightforward representation of a trans narrative that will hopefully open the possibilities for more stories to be shared in the future.
The film reveals insight into how parts of America view the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. As stated by Samantha Allen, “According to data collected by the Public Religion Research Institute, a majority of Americans in red states now support same-sex marriage rights and anti-discrimination protections for queer and trans people. Opposition exists, and it can be stark. But the strikingly cruel legislation being passed in conservative regions of the U.S. is not so much a product of the people who live there as it is fueled by an ongoing propaganda campaign; most Americans are just trying to live.”
Will & Harper is a raw and genuine look at how Steele and other members of the trans community navigate relationships and spaces with others in the country.
However different the two films are in their execution, both I Saw the TV Glow and Will & Harper have powerful things to say about trans narratives and representation. These films’ success should lead to the inclusion of more diverse stories in the future.
