Starry Eyes (2014)

Starry Eyes: Directed by Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer. With Alex Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Noah Segan, Fabianne Therese. A hopeful young starlet uncovers the ominous origins of the Hollywood elite and enters into a deadly agreement in exchange for fame and fortune.

“Starry Eyes is not for the faint of heart. Iu0026#39;ve seen many horror movies and this is definitely on the more extreme side so if you have a weak stomach then this isnu0026#39;t for you. However, itu0026#39;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. Itu0026#39;s darkly comedic at times and horrifically gruesome at others. I cringed and winced plenty of times during this movie. And itu0026#39;s not even solely because of the graphic imagery, which is horrifying enough (but thankfully never crosses into torture porn). Itu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe movie is heavily reliant on atmosphere, and it definitely gives off a David Lynch and Requiem for a Dream vibe throughout. Itu0026#39;s watching someone go through a downward spiral, from quitting their job, to abandoning everything and everyone, and the filmmakers donu0026#39;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 itu0026#39;s amazing how quickly we sympathize with Sarah and how we gradually end up sympathizing more for her friends later on. After a while itu0026#39;s like youu0026#39;re not even watching actors – the story comes to life on screen. This is a testament to everything working in harmony: the filmmakersu0026#39; vision, the actorsu0026#39; devotion to the roles, the eerie retro electronic score, the bleak cinematography. It all comes together to create a powerful, haunting piece of art.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis movie had potential to be truly groundbreaking. As I said itu0026#39;s brilliantly written, acted, and directed. What threw me a bit was the ending. I wonu0026#39;t spoil anything but they take an odd turn in the final act and youu0026#39;ll know it when you see it. Itu0026#39;s not even that itu0026#39;s bad – the movie still left me in utter shock. I just know it couldu0026#39;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 youu0026#39;re already speechless and exhausted from the experience. Itu0026#39;s just that little step that couldu0026#39;ve made it a psychological masterpiece as opposed to a highly effective insight into the darkness of human ambition.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStarry Eyes disturbed me. It really did. If you like Lynch-esque movies that make you think but also make you feel unnerved then youu0026#39;ll definitely get some chills and thrills from Starry Eyes. These filmmakers have proved enough to cement themselves on any horror fanu0026#39;s radar; even if you arenu0026#39;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.”