New Horror Movie Has More Metal Than Fred Durst As a Scary Dad

A new horror/coming-of-age film from A24 gets surprisingly metal with appearances from Fred Durst and King Woman.

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has had a pretty wild history as an actor/director. After showing up as himself in Zoolander, he directed the 2007 film The Education of Charlie Banks, an underrated film starring Jesse Eisenberg. He would later direct one of the most insane films ever, 2019's The Fanatic where John Travolta plays an autistic movie obsessive who stalks one of his favorite actors.

Now, Durst has made his latest appearance in film, this time as an actor in director Jane Schoenbrun's new film I Saw the TV Glow, the latest from cult movie studio A24.

Durst however isn't the only heavy metal frontperson to appear in Schoenbrun's film. King Woman, fronted by multi-hyphenate singer Kristina Esfandiari, appears as herself in the movie and on the soundtrack.

To keep things spoiler-free: Durst's role in the film as Owen's father Frank is an extremely important presence in the film, though not always in a positive way for his son. On the other hand, Esfandiari's appearance comes at a major crossroads in the story, and her voice helps underscore an incredibly tense, powerful moment.

After seeing the film, we highly recommend you go see it for yourself if you have the chance. It's a beautiful, strange and visceral exploration of identity, all filtered through the perspective of growing up in the age of watching shows such as Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? as a kid. It truly cements Schoenbrun as an absolute talent and important voice in filmmaking.

If you're unable to, read ahead for the full details for Durst and Esfandiari's appearances.

I Saw the TV Glow Film Trailer

SPOILER: FRED DURST'S APPEARANCE IN I SAW THE TV GLOW

I Saw the TV Glow centers around the character of Owen who is discovering his own identity and connects with an older girl Maddy who is obsessed with the TV show The Pink Opaque. The show is somewhere between The Secret World of Alex Mack and Goosebumps, where two teenage girls with a psychic connection fight monsters across their county.

Owen isn't allowed to watch the show because of his domineering father Frank, who has him set to a strict bedtime. Owen hatches a plan to pretend to have a sleepover at a friend's house in order to sneak away to Maddy's house, which he's too afraid to ask his father directly to approve, so his mom does so.

Although he doesn't show up on screen at this point, there's a serious tension in this moment, and Frank's overbearing presence feels very real. He does approve, Owen goes to Maddy's house and cements his love for the show.

Years later, Frank's curfew is still in place, despite Owen now being in ninth grade. On a drive home from a fair, Owen asks his dad if he could stay up late to watch the show. In response, Frank cuts him down, asking him, "Isn't that a show for girls?"

It's a small comment, but one of those comments that stick with a person, making them ashamed of their interests not falling into whatever boy/girl-approved media they're allowed to watch. Frank later shows up in the film, Owen's only living parent after his mother Brenda passes from illness. When Owen shows up late at night back home, Frank is sitting on the couch, staring at Owen, his face looking almost monstrous in how angry he looks.

His final appearance in the movie comes when Owen has a breakdown after watching the twisted, nightmarish finale of The Pink Opaque. Owen is attempting to jam his head into his TV after seeing himself in the episode, to which Frank pulls him out of it, and showers him off to calm him. It's the first fatherly thing he does in the movie, although there's a metaphor for what Owen is attempting that definitely colors the experience.

SPOILER: KING WOMAN'S APPEARANCE IN I SAW THE TV GLOW

Esfandiari's appearance in the film happens after Maddy reappears, having disappeared years earlier. Maddy reconnects with Owen, and invites him to a rock club where they can better talk about what happened to her.

Maddy tells Owen that the two of them can actually live inside of The Pink Opaque, and that it's more than a show. While she's giving an emotional explanation, King Woman is performing "Psychic Wound." Esfandiari's screams underscore the terror and confusion of the moment, and come at a turning point where reality bleeds into the unreal of the film.

King Woman, "Psychic Wound"

It's a great moment in the movie and shows Schoenbrun's mastery of important music inclusion. The rest of the soundtrack is pretty excellent as well, with some choice tracks from Drab Majesty, Phoebe Bridgers, Proper and more.

See the soundtrack below.