This movie is one that will keep you thinking for a while long after you watch it. I'm not usually in for visceral sex and gore, but in 'Starry Eyes' it's all about internalizing (pun intended) the intimacy of the betrayals and vulnerability Sarah puts herself through. *spoilers* She literally ingests the evil of the cult, which then goes through a twisted mockery of natal gestation mixed with death, then is reborn with Aestreus. It's a brilliant take on vampirism and Hollywood cultism. Brilliant film.

My quick rating - 5,8/10. This most likely is rated higher, but the supporting cast just dragged this down so much. I did still enjoy the Lynch,Cronenberg-esque style of this film though. Some very nice imagery used to set the tone, and the lead is just fit for the role. She plays an obsessive actress that will do whatever she needs to succeed (or in this case, just get a part). All of that of course leads to the downward spiral. Reading reviews using "disturbing" and grotesque" are a stretch, since the gore, nor psychological attack is not either, but it does seem to be a "hit home" thing that I would bet L.A. sees a lot in struggling talent. The trip to get to the end is enjoyable to watch, and the ending itself is very well done, and since I can't give spoilers, there are some nice nods to old cinema sprinkled in as well.

Alex Essoe is a really good actress and she was brilliant in this. This move delves into the sometimes morally vague and downright bad things people feel forced to do in order to achieve their dreams of fortune and fame. This movie is better than most "seedy underbelly of Hollywood" type tales. It is better than The Last Tycoon (starring a young Bobby De Niro) and infinitely superior to the superficially pretty but bland and unrewarding Neon Demon. The plot is sort of predictable, but the performances and direction is really excellent, so that doesn't matter. I really liked it. There are lot of unprofessional and immoral demands on actresses that go unsaid and there should be more films like this.

For those who have been complaining that American horror hasn't kept up with European or Japanese Horror, well, how about Starry Eyes? It's equal parts Martyrs and Audition. It doesn't really make a lick of sense but the acting is so good and the tension is so high, who gives a care? It's really not as graphic and violent as others have let on, but since the tension builds so effectively during the first two thirds of the film, the violence of the last act just seems over the top, and that's a pretty cool accomplishment. I'm giving this a ten because it's a masterpiece of horror. How I didn't even hear about it until two years after its release is beyond me but whatever.