10 Hidden Horror Movie Gems Nobody Talks About
8. Starry Eyes
One of the most evocative looks at the dangerous pursuit of fame in recent times, Starry Eyes revolves around aspiring, struggling actress Sarah Walker (Alex Essoe), who enters into a diabolic bargain in her pursuit of fame and sees her life change forever - for better or worse.
If filmmakers Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer aren't exactly subtle in their critique of Hollywood's predatory and hyper-competitive nature, their approach compensates with both its brutal honesty and, well, its straight-up brutality.
Without giving too much away, this is a film packed with visceral, revolting sights, yet none of these moments would hit nearly as hard were it not for the sublime lead performance from Alex Essoe, who between this and her subsequent work on several Mike Flanagan productions, deserves to be a much bigger name in the genre than she currently is.
Starry Eyes' blunt critique of an exploitative industry and uncompromising gnarliness won't work for everyone, but even so, Essoe's outstanding work makes it a must-see for adventurous viewers.