Cube Critics discuss ‘The Boyfriend’ and ‘I Saw the TV Glow’

Cube Critics Jacob Aloi and Max Sparber discuss a gay dating show from Japan and a horror film about the trans experience.

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The following are capsule reviews edited from the audio heard using the player above.

‘The Boyfriend’

“The Boyfriend” on Netflix offers a delightful slice of queer joy through its reality TV format, featuring queer, gay and bisexual Japanese men operating a coffee truck while living together in a shared house.

“The Boyfriend” shows us the day-to-day dynamics of friendship and romance among its cast, interspersed with commentary from a panel that includes serious critics, quirky observers and a drag queen.

However, viewers might find the dubbed version less appealing due to its limited voiceover cast. The original Japanese version with subtitles is recommended.

— Jacob Aloi

The Boyfriend trailer

‘I Saw the TV Glow’

“I Saw the TV Glow” is a hauntingly introspective horror film from filmmaker Jans Schoenbrun — if you’re looking for queer joy, this ain’t it.

Instead, we are given eerie experiences of two 1990s teenagers obsessed with an oddball TV show reminiscent of cult classics like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete” — including cameos from both Pete and Pete. The story explores how the show eerily begins to influence their reality in inexplicable ways.

Processed to emulate the look of a vintage television show, the film boasts a strange neon beauty. Director Jans Schoenbrun, who is trans and nonbinary, addresses themes central to the trans experience, particularly the concept of “cracking the egg” — a term used within the trans community to describe the pivotal realization of one’s gender identity.

Ostensibly a horror film, “I Saw the TV Glow” doesn’t offer traditional frights, instead offering a pervasive sense of the uncanny. It explores the terror of feeling out of place and the chilling consequences of inaction.

— Max Sparber

I Saw the TV Glow trailer