Starry Eyes

Starry Eyes is not for the faint of heart. I've seen many horror movies and this is definitely on the more extreme side so if you have a weak stomach then this isn't for you. However, it's brutally real in telling its story about a girl who wants to be a star and is willing to do whatever it takes to reach that goal. It's darkly comedic at times and horrifically gruesome at others. I cringed and winced plenty of times during this movie. And it's not even solely because of the graphic imagery, which is horrifying enough (but thankfully never crosses into torture porn). It's also because Starry Eyes sheds a dark light on Hollywood and on human nature itself by exploring the most vile, revolting aspects of both.

The movie is heavily reliant on atmosphere, and it definitely gives off a David Lynch and Requiem for a Dream vibe throughout. It's watching someone go through a downward spiral, from quitting their job, to abandoning everything and everyone, and the filmmakers don't sugarcoat a thing. It gets genuinely disturbing and hard to watch at times, but what draws you into it in the first place and what really makes you *believe* is the performances. Alex Essoe is absolutely terrifying as Sarah. The supporting cast is surprisingly great too, and it's amazing how quickly we sympathize with Sarah and how we gradually end up sympathizing more for her friends later on. After a while it's like you're not even watching actors - the story comes to life on screen. This is a testament to everything working in harmony: the filmmakers' vision, the actors' devotion to the roles, the eerie retro electronic score, the bleak cinematography. It all comes together to create a powerful, haunting piece of art.

This movie had potential to be truly groundbreaking. As I said it's brilliantly written, acted, and directed. What threw me a bit was the ending. I won't spoil anything but they take an odd turn in the final act and you'll know it when you see it. It's not even that it's bad - the movie still left me in utter shock. I just know it could've been much more effective had they gone the deeper psychological route, which is teased at for the first three quarters of the film. Regardless, the journey itself is disturbing enough that by the time the ending comes you're already speechless and exhausted from the experience. It's just that little step that could've made it a psychological masterpiece as opposed to a highly effective insight into the darkness of human ambition.

Starry Eyes disturbed me. It really did. If you like Lynch-esque movies that make you think but also make you feel unnerved then you'll definitely get some chills and thrills from Starry Eyes. These filmmakers have proved enough to cement themselves on any horror fan's radar; even if you aren't into the extreme side of the genre you can appreciate what the filmmakers set out to achieve here. This is a movie that sticks with you after the credits roll. It is a wild ride for its brief runtime and certainly worth a watch for any fan of dark psychological horror.

Four stars positive for a fairly innovative score and Argento-esque visuals, plus some pretty solid acting by the lead and one or two supporting actors. Beyond that, I have to admit, I watched the entire thing (resisting the urge to turn it off many times) because I wanted, hoped for, the ending to bring everything together in some redeeming way. Instead, I was disappointed. The movie was difficult to watch all around but not because of horror elements - it's hard, for one thing, to feel invested in a story when you can't empathize with its protagonist - admittedly there are exceptions to that but this isn't one of them. I also felt like some of the plot devices relied on clichéd, negative stereotyping (can't say more without spoilers) and that the end just didn't make sense in any narrative or metaphor driven way. I'm sure there are some who'd argue otherwise, and they are welcome to their opinions, but overall, Starry Eyes was just a huge letdown for me.

I say sort of because the film has an unnerving and tense momentum, with some truly freaky and horrifying (good horrifying) images and scenes. It's kind of obvious where the film is going though, but it has some clever direction and again, disorienting in a good way in some of its pacing and tone. The lead actress is really good, very unnerving. The problem is that the film also has these weak spots here and there, and I wish the last 15 minutes had at least tries to do a bit more than what we regularly get from horror films like this. Still, it's actually quite a nice surprise in some of the things it does. This is actually recommended.

Aspiring actress, Sarah Walker (Alexandra Essoe) auditions for a part in a horror film. Hoping not only to get her "big break", but also to escape her dismal life, including her job at a bottom-of-the-barrel restaurant, Sarah is quite desperate.

Her interactions with the movie's Producer (Louis Dezseran) and his Casting Director (Maria Olsen) grow increasingly bizarre and uncomfortable. Sarah has no idea what she must sacrifice in order for her dreams to come true. Resisting at first, her life begins to change into a nightmare world of physical and mental disintegration. Sarah finally realizes what she is being compelled to do, but can she do it?

STARRY EYES is an exceptional horror film, and a darkly satirical look at the cost of fame. Ms. Essoe is phenomenal, pretty much carrying the entire movie on the strength of her performance. If you're tired of the same old thing in horror films, then give this a shot...

Alex Essoe is a really good actress and she was brilliant in this. This move delves into the sometimes morally vague and downright bad things people feel forced to do in order to achieve their dreams of fortune and fame. This movie is better than most "seedy underbelly of Hollywood" type tales. It is better than The Last Tycoon (starring a young Bobby De Niro) and infinitely superior to the superficially pretty but bland and unrewarding Neon Demon. The plot is sort of predictable, but the performances and direction is really excellent, so that doesn't matter. I really liked it. There are lot of unprofessional and immoral demands on actresses that go unsaid and there should be more films like this.