Starry Eyes (2014)

It's a growing concept in recent years for movies to be critical of Hollywood and the idea of stardom in general. Films such as Mulholland Drive, Map to the Stars, I'm Still Here and others all aim to poke holes at what it means to be a celebrity and are largely pessimistic about it. Starry Eyes follows suite in that regard and this movie makes it clear that the filmmakers believe stardom to be a hollow void that may even be evil. The reality of such an assertion will always be up for debate but this movie gets its point across and does it without flinching. Starry Eyes is a slow burn horror movie about a young woman who more than anything in the world wants to be an actress in Hollywood. Warning: this movie is probably best enjoyed if you're a seasoned horror fan or if you are ready to be really grossed out. Starry Eyes may be too slow to start and its overall point too obvious but it is still a hugely effective gross out horror film that is made with lots of flair and clear talent.

Starry Eyes is about a young woman named Sarah who lives out west and badly wants to make it big as an actress. She works a job as a waitress but works hard at auditions to try to get a big break (with no luck so far). The group of people she is friends with are mostly in the same boat as her but they are much more content with how unsuccessful they are so much that they even revel in their positions and find reasons to justify them. Sarah, however, is not happy and after an audition goes well (all things considered) she gets a potential in with a big movie studio named Astraeus. As Sarah decides to move forward with auditioning for the role she realizes how hard to travel the road to stardom may be and that this particular production company may have a darker path to reaching that goal. How far is Sarah willing to go to be a star?

The idea of a young actress struggling to get work is about as cliché as it gets so it's a good thing Starry Eyes takes its concept much further than you would expect. In fact, a lot about the lead character's situation is sort of basic but the last act in this movie is beyond shocking. Ultimately this movie blends slow burn 1970s style horror films with perhaps Cronenberg-esque body horror. A more recent movie this reminded me of is Contracted (which is about a young woman who starts to decompose after a bad sexual encounter) and fortunately Starry Eyes takes all of the best elements of something like that and has a much more interesting premise to work with. It's just a shame it takes so long for this movie to really get going. Starry Eyes is very slow in the beginning and I think a good 10 minutes could have been shaved from this to make it move along better (or perhaps the horror elements could have been introduced sooner). Still, Starry Eyes is a deeply disturbing movie that really works dramatically and viscerally. Make no mistake, this movie is not for the faint of heart. It really goes there and is incredibly brutal at times.

Starring in this film is a young actress named Alex Essoe. I don't think I've ever seen her in anything before but I'm hoping this role earns her some recognition because she is fantastic and carries the film. She makes the lead character sympathetic and the ethical dilemmas she faces seem like real trouble because the movie does a great job of putting you in her shoes. Also the movie looks really nice. It has a gray, shadowy visual aesthetic and as a result the entire film feels very creepy and a sense of dread is never ending. The gore special effects are incredible as well but I won't go too much into that since it's best to be surprised with where this movie ends up going. I was very surprised with how stylish Starry Eyes looked overall. If you're in the mood for a very dark, unflinching horror experience this might do the trick for you (even if it gets a bit silly at times).

This movie wasn't really what I was expecting. I had heard it was very violent and knew the basic outline of the plot but I was still shocked with how visceral the movie actually is. It is an anti-Hollywood image film that has a lot of bad things to say about the nature of celebrities. Agree or disagree with that message but at least the filmmakers stick to their guns and take the concept all the way. Unfortunately the movie starts off far too slow and I feel like it could have had the same impact if it moved along faster. Even if the end result of the movie is way more over-the-top than the build up would suggest I think it works. Horror fans should absolutely see Starry Eyes but if you're one who is easily grossed out or disturbed I would definitely do some more research before watching it since it is incredibly violent in parts. Starry Eyes may not be perfect but it is definitely a very solid movie.

7.5/10