At the dawn of the new millennium, anxieties over the emerging online world were mostly directed towards the possible creation of a simulated reality. Movies like Kairo (2001) imagined a self-harming disease spread through a pop-up virus, while The Matrix (1999) showed us what the world would be like in the times of cyberspace, artificial intelligence and neurotechnologies. 

While the internet allowed us to build a new identity from scratch, the continuous search for belonging can be felt across the web, particularly among online fan communities. A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, which has its UK premiere this week at the Sundance Film Festival in London, is inspired by this idea. In it, director Jane Schoenbrun reflects on the salvific yet scary side of fandom culture: what does it mean to love a piece of culture so much that you wish to reject real life to dive fully into it? And how has the internet changed the ontology of fandom? 

To celebrate the film’s UK release on June 7, we’ve picked seven other titles exploring what it means to be a fan online today. From Jane Schoenbrun’s creepypasta-inspired film A self-induced hallucination (2018) and We’re All Going to The World’s Fair (2021), to Scott Cummings’ deep-dive into the juggalo hip-hop act Insane Clown Posse, here’s our top selects. 

IT’S NOT A PHASE, KRISTOFFER BORGLI (2019)

Before exploring the creepiness of our hype-based culture with Sick of Myself (2022) and Dream Scenario (2023), Kristoffer Borgli directed and starred in a satirical short film about fandom culture: It’s Not A Phase (2019) follows Joe, a 26-year-old fan of an emo band whose lead singer is played by Borgli himself. Shot in a mockumentary style, the film explores the slow descent into madness that Joe undergoes while trying to enter his idol’s private life. Introducing the key themes that would belong to the director’s entire later filmography, It’s Not a Phase reflects on how far a parasocial relationship with your beloved artist can bring you – and it does it with great comedic rhythm and a dazzling original soundtrack. 

A SELF-INDUCED HALLUCINATION, JANE SCHOENBRUN (2019)

Jane Schoenbrun’s first tap into the realm linking fandom culture and the internet is a montage of YouTube found-footage: A Self-Induced Hallucination (2019) is a desktop film made of clips shot by victims of the so-called ‘Slender Sickness’, which is a fictional disease spread out of the most popular creepypasta of all times (which inspired movies, video games, and a real-life homicide). Introducing concepts such as post-truth and the power of online self-narratives, Schoenbrun comes to terms with what it means to collectively build a fictional world between people who share the same language and icons, revealing the highest expression of the internet’s collective unconscious.

THE FANDOM, ASH KREIS, ERIC RISHER (2020) 

For years, members of one of the most controversial fandoms ever have been trying to defend themselves against stigma. Despite the effort, the furry community – or subculture? – continues to be a victim of prejudice and mockery. The Fandom (2020) dives right into the history of furry culture, unveiling its birth and its development in internet times. Most of all, the documentary goes beyond the shallow nature of most critiques, and investigates how choosing a customised avatar (a fursona) to present oneself to the world is not that far from what we all do all the time in our daily lives.

BUFFALO JUGGALOS, SCOTT CUMMINGS (2014)

Cleverly combining a sleek aesthetic and an anthropological gaze, Buffalo Juggalos (2014) is director Scott Cummings’ attempt to dive into the fandom of hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse, which – thanks to its recognisable codes such as clothing and terminology – is now recognised as being an actual subculture. With an exploded storytelling composed of tableau-vivant-like long shots, Cummings’ short film about Juggalos feels like if the trash pope John Waters directed a movie about hip-hop culture in the US.

ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU, SHUNJI IWAI (2001)

There are many reasons why All about Lily Chou-Chou (2001) should be credited as the ultimate film about fandom, and it’s not only because the movie was inspired by a participatory internet novel-turned-blog where readers could engage with the characters as if they were part of the story itself. One of the first collective online narratives ever created, Shunji Iwai’s movie follows a group of teenage Japanese students and their unconditional love for the singer Lily Chou-Chou, an ethereal Björk-like figure who’s hailed by her fans through an online message board dedicated to her. The story is told through a non-linear narrative, with blog posts continuously popping on the screen alongside the character’s actions, and addresses the parental negligence, pain and sense of exclusion that Japanese kids were knowingly going through when the film was made. With early-internet-inspired visuals and a mysterious soundtrack signed by Lily Chou-Chou herself, Iwai’s film is one of the very first experiments in understanding how the internet revolutionised fandom culture.

A BRONY TALE, BRENT HODGE (2012)

There’s a fandom which has long been considered the manifesto of New Sincerity, a positivity-drenched trend that marks the departure from cynicism and sarcasm spread between users online: Bronies (a fusion of “brother” and “pony”). But why is the fandom of cartoon show My Little Pony considered the highest embodiment of these ideals? Brent Hodge’s documentary surveys the internet-born fanbase of the coloured characters created by Hasbro, following its members and involving a voice actress who worked on the show to react to the phenomenon. Diving into conventions and investigating the fans’ private lives, the film sheds light on the fandom, its origins, and what makes the My Little Pony universe such a desirable one.

FOR THE LOVE OF DOLLY, TAI UHLMANN (2016)

Not all celebrities can say they own a 150-acre theme park dedicated to them and their career: iconic country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton definitely can. However, doing a pilgrimage to Dollywood is just one of the hundreds of things that her fans would do for their idol, and Tai Uhlmann’s 2006 documentary For the Love of Dolly proves it. Following the lives of five of Dolly Parton’s biggest fans over the course of one year, the film shows how fandom can truly give meaning to people’s lives, but also how it can evolve into something twisted and overwhelming.

I Saw The TV Glow premieres at Sundance Film Festival on June 7