Starry Eyes, directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, is a surprisingly effective horror film in the tradition of Black Swan and The House of the Devil. Like the former, it tells the tale of a mentally unstable young woman who forsakes her innocence in the name of her art. Like the latter, this is a slow burn affair with a wham-bang ending and a retro vibe.
Starry Eyes follows an aspiring actress named Sarah, who lives with a few of her fellow actors and works at a fast food restaurant called Big Taters. She is barely able to focus on her job because her number one passion is acting, and she is constantly on the phone scheduling auditions. We watch her go from audition to audition, pouring herself in to every one and often failing.
And when things get too stressful, Sarah literally pulls her hair out in clumps - a disturbing habit that plays a large part in the film. Every instance is cringe-inducing.
One day when Sarah is at the end of her rope, she auditions for a role in a horror film called "The Silver Scream", which is being produced by Astraeus Pictures, a company that is long past its hey day and is desperate for a comeback. The people at Astraeus are incredibly odd and more than a little spooky. After Sarah's first audition, it is clear that she is the girl for the job.
But it will come at a large price.
I don't want to reveal any more than I have to. Half of the fun is not knowing what is going to happen next. I will say that the third act of the film is extremely gory and pretty damn horrifying. While it's not the classic that it could have been, this is still an above average film and deserves to be seen. If you are a fan of the films of Ti West, I think you'll have a good time. Also, Alex Essoe (who plays Sarah) is a revelation. She's going on to bigger things, trust me.
Starry Eyes follows an aspiring actress named Sarah, who lives with a few of her fellow actors and works at a fast food restaurant called Big Taters. She is barely able to focus on her job because her number one passion is acting, and she is constantly on the phone scheduling auditions. We watch her go from audition to audition, pouring herself in to every one and often failing.
And when things get too stressful, Sarah literally pulls her hair out in clumps - a disturbing habit that plays a large part in the film. Every instance is cringe-inducing.
One day when Sarah is at the end of her rope, she auditions for a role in a horror film called "The Silver Scream", which is being produced by Astraeus Pictures, a company that is long past its hey day and is desperate for a comeback. The people at Astraeus are incredibly odd and more than a little spooky. After Sarah's first audition, it is clear that she is the girl for the job.
But it will come at a large price.
I don't want to reveal any more than I have to. Half of the fun is not knowing what is going to happen next. I will say that the third act of the film is extremely gory and pretty damn horrifying. While it's not the classic that it could have been, this is still an above average film and deserves to be seen. If you are a fan of the films of Ti West, I think you'll have a good time. Also, Alex Essoe (who plays Sarah) is a revelation. She's going on to bigger things, trust me.