Starry Eyes
Just saw this 2014 indie horror film Starry Eyes recently…and I loved it. Alex Essoe as the lead whose multi-faceted transformation is so real, inhabits a woman who is so sympathetic, to anyone who has done the hard work to achieve their dreams, that at one point I found myself musing, “Aww, she’s a smart girl trying her best, she’s just a kid! Is it her fault that in Hollywood nowadays, only the Devil answers prayers?”
But, if you’re not in Satanic films, or horror films in general–and towards the end, things really do get very messy–the film is also worth watching as a very honest portrayal of (female) ambition, the frightening choices we all have to make, the cost of success and failure, friendship, human doubt and disillusionment. All done without preaching or “sending a message,” just with some solid writing and acting. I mean, I tend to overthink everything, so when the lead starts um coming into herself, shall we say, I thought that perhaps if she hadn’t spent her life ruthlessly suppressing her rage, keeping it at arm’s length, if she hadn’t been so uncomfortable with herself, if she didn’t equate stardom with love…well, perhaps she would have ended up differently.
I was also impressed by the strength of the cast, and the writing on the whole. Horror films are not always known for the depth of their characters. But in Starry Eyes, we get to see how one’s choices and ambitions impact others. For example, the main character works in a rather vulgar restaurant, earning cash to support her soul-destroying “life” of being a screen icon, and there’s one wonderful scene wherein the rather vulgar owner of the restaurant acknowledges that this isn’t what she wants to be doing, obviously, but as far as he’s concerned, this restaurant, despite it’s sleaze and grease and grime…well, this is his dream. This is what he was able to accomplish, for better or for worse. Again, we all make choices.
Before you get totally turned off, allow me to remind you that Alex Essoe is 5’10” and insanely captivating. (Come on, what’d ya think? Beelzebub knows how to choose ’em! He’s been doing this for some time…) And when she turns bad, she is riveting. Starry Eyes is currently streaming on Netflix; watch it and tell me what you think. And, of course, what you would do…
2014 movies Alex Essoe ambition female ambition indie horror films life lessons living in LA review of starry eyes Starry Eyes strong female actresses women's roles