Summary:
A Faustian tale about a young actress struggling to make it in LA.
My Thoughts:
One of the first things you learn when you really start diving into the horror genre is that horror films are polarizing for critics, primarily because some critics just aren’t willing to give horror films a shot. Just because something is revolting and disturbing doesn’t also mean that the quality of what we’re being shown is superior to others who try to show us similar things. I feel like certain critics are more likely to give middling films that make them uncomfortable a bad review primarily because of the way it makes them feel, but you’ve got to remember that some horror fans love that feeling of being revolted and disturbed by what they see.
“Starry Eyes” is a movie that, for the first two acts, teetered on the edge of pretty good and pretty mediocre for me. It suffers a lot of problems that low-budget horror films suffer. The plot, while a bit nuanced, was slightly predictable; the directing, while fine, wasn’t particularly stylish in the way that makes a film stand out; and the acting by our lead actress (Alex Essoe, “Doctor Sleep”), was good, but it was also a bit shaky at times, if I’m being honest.
Then the third act came, more specifically, then one sequence in the third act came, and it completely changed my assessment of the film. There is one five-minute sequence in this film that makes the entirety of the film worth watching in my opinion; its brutal, graphic, intense, and it comes completely out of nowhere. It’s exactly the kind of sequence I want in my horror flicks; it’s so good that I’ve recommended the film to a few people now, just because of that scene. As for the rest of the film, it’s fine; I really think that sequence is the main reason to watch the movie, but the rest of it provides a compelling enough story that the film is never boring. I wont say anything more about that particular scene; just know it’s awesome and we’ll move on right along.
This film hinges on the performance of its lead actress; the whole film revolves around her and the changes she undergoes after becoming involved with a dubious production company. I’ve never seen Alex Essoe in anything before this movie, but as I watched this film, I kept thinking to myself that she would make a fantastic supporting actress, but I’m not quite sure if she has the finesse to carry the lead role, particularly in a movie like this, where so much of the film hinges on her performance. This is a movie that needed someone astounding in the lead role (like Isabelle Adjani in “Possession”), and it got someone who could, for the most part, pull off what needed to be done, but she never quite reaches the moment of transcendent revelation that the film needed.
The story, as I mentioned above, is a bit Faustian, and those that understand that story and the themes of it can probably glean where the film is headed before it ever even starts to hint at where its going. Where this film elevates the tried-and-true story is with its incredibly nuanced themes, which deal with Hollywood Producers using their powers to sexually manipulate wannabe actresses into doing what they want. This film came out in 2014, but it feels almost prophetic when you think that the #MeToo movement which would really find its footing in 2017 after the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke.
Though the general direction of the plot might be predictable, the writers and directors, Kolsch and Widmyer, do their best to keep it fresh, and they do so by giving our protagonist some destructive patterns of behavior, and a flippant, almost bi-polar personality. As Essoe’s character tries to figure out what to do about the Production Company’s proposition, she finds herself starting to fall apart (literally and figuratively). There’s some great body-horror stuff that precedes the best parts of the film, and it really helps the movie’s pacing overall.
Verdict:
As a whole, “Starry Eyes” is absolutely worth watching. It’s not the most amazing film in terms of overall quality, but it provides enough thrills to warrant the hour and forty minutes it takes to watch it, and there’s one sequence towards the end that simply left me utterly speechless (and then I showed said sequence to three different people). If you consider yourself a huge horror fan, then don’t miss this low-budget gem.
Review Written By: