Warning: I’ve kept this the film’s events vague but some might consider this spoilery. Starry Eyes is on Netflix and I would suggest watching it before reading if you are interested.

Starry Eyes is a film about the all encompassing pursuit of stardom. It’s the embodiment of Californication and a modern telling of selling your soul. Instead of meeting the devil at the crossroads we meet him in the lavish mansions of studio executives. It’s also about choice and inertia.

Sarah, an aspiring actress who is brilliantly played by Alex Essoe, is seen auditioning for several roles. Each time she falls just short and the frustration is taking its toll. In private corners she weeps, she rips clumps of her hair out. She tears herself down over the smallest mistakes that keep her working as a waitress in a Hooter’s clone.

Her desperation is palpable and the casting directors can see it. They push her further, forcing her to bare her body and expose deeper parts of herself. In flashes between her embarrassment and nervousness you can see that Sarah is starting to like it. She’s letting go of her humanity to become what Hollywood demands of her.

They press Sarah further. The degradation of her character manifests on the outside as her hair grows thin, her body festers. She alienates her friends. She goes all inand shuns her many chances at redemption. It doesn’t matter if it is sexual favors, betrayal, or worse, Sarah is going to do what it takes to be a star.

Starry Eyes is a scathing metaphor on the state of Hollywood and how it exploits the dreams of its workers. There is no subtlety in Starry Eyes’ message, Director / writer duo Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer escalated the violence to prove their points on betrayal and exploitation, but they never lost the thread on Sarah’s transformation.

It shares a similar message to movies like Black Swan in that obsession becomes a maddening force. While it might not be as pretty as Darren Aronofsky’s entry into the horror lexicon, it still packs an emotional punch. The film’s grim nature may turn off the general film viewing audience but lovers of indie horror should enjoy it.

What did you think of Starry Eyes? Leave a comment below!

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Tony Southcotte hails from the Rocky Mountains somewhere around the state of Colorado. Possibly raised by grizzly bears, this gritty denizen of the arena now spends most of his time grappling with Java updates and dysfunctional RAM. With not much fiction under his belt, it might seem tempting to bet against Mister Southcotte, but an impressive knowledge of everything from PVC pipe to psychedelic drugs makes Tony a storehouse of fiction waiting to hit the paper. Plus, you know, there’s the possibility of him ripping you apart like a grizzly bear.