Starry Eyes is a Startling Take on Fame

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Starry Eyes (2014)

The subject of fame is one often tackled in cinema, partially due to the fact that filmmakers and screenwriters are encouraged to write about subjects which they feel they have a decent understanding of. This leads to a wide variety of films all tackling the subject of fame in some way, but rarely do they aim to do so in a horror setting. Typically, audiences are rooting for someone's quest for fame in a comedy, romance, or drama. In the case of Starry Eyes, audience members are left conflicted as our protagonist goes to increasingly dangerous and drastic lengths as the promise of stardom is dangled in front of her face, forever pushing her to go further and further beyond her moral limits in some vain effort at achieving her dreams. Its a premise we've seen time and time again, typically under the guise of romantic comedies or a heart wrenching drama. Unfortunately for our protagonist, she's not in a comedy where she'll meet up with her future soulmate at a coffee shop after another failed audition, so the lengths she's forced to go to will be increasingly disturbing and horrific as the film's plot unfolds.

The illuminati has been subject of many online (and offline) debates as people ponder just how celebrities manage to achieve the sort of fame they have found. Conspiracy theories are often shot back and forth while people question how it's possible for the likes of Justin Bieber to become famous from the mere luck of a YouTube video being viewed by the right person at the right time while plenty of other equally (or more) talented individuals go relatively unnoticed despite their hard work. Naturally, the conspiracy is that these artists and actors earned their success through deals with the devil. It's a concept which has been around since the eighties, perpetuated by bands like KISS and other metal groups who horrified parents and led them to insist that those men were famous because of deals with Satan himself. Starry Eyes is the first film I've seen to take this concept and run with it, grabbing us by the wrists and effectively dragging us into a world where this conspiracy theory is fact, and it certainly is fun to watch it unfold.

Unfortunately, Starry Eyes is a rather slow burn initially. It seems to drag on as we watch our protagonist be routinely beat up by life and struggle and fail in audition after audition. However, once she inevitably auditions at the right production company - one which plans to give her the fame and fortune of her dream as soon as she signs herself away to them for the rest of her life and agrees to be "transformed - the film really begins to pick up as our hero unravels into a violent and depraved mess while her lust for fame and power takes hold. The ending is extremely satisfying and makes up for the lengthy introduction sequences which can become tiresome and make the audience feel as exhausted as our protagonist must be. I also applaud the film for its fantastic special effects and clever use of practical effects paired with wonderful and unique visuals in a genre of film which typically repeats character designs again and again. The soundtrack, visuals, and acting are all absolutely wonderful and make for an effective and haunting viewing experience which you won't soon forget.

Bearing all of this in mind, I highly recommend seeking out and watching Starry Eyes (which is currently available on Netflix) if you're fascinated with horror and are interested in seeing a somewhat realistic take on a classic (and ridiculous) conspiracy theory.

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