Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: An aspiring actress is willing to do anything to get into the film industry.
Review: It really pains me to accept, but this movie started off amazing and completely falls apart by the end. Hell, as stupid as the ending was, the theme music during the credits was so badass I almost went right back to enjoying the movie! The potential--oh man, that potential--was nearly endless up until, maybe, the last 30 minutes when the downward spiral became irreversible. Were they like, hey, this movie is indie, better get all artsy and pretentious to maintain our cred? You can certainly look at this film from either a literal or figurative sense. I am going to take things in the literal sense as I don't want to delve pointlessly into the meaning behind the transformation, whether it was real or imagined, or what each little thing was supposed to say. I'll leave that up to the critics who take themselves way too seriously.
In case you don't know, there have been rumors for decades regarding what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood. You have accusations of pedophilia, rape, murder, tons of closeted individuals, prostitution, and, of course, satanism...just to name a few things. Most importantly, there is a newer notion that most famous celebrities have sold their souls for fame or are possessed in some fashion. You can look this shit up online if you're curious about how far the rabbit hole goes. This film attempts to depict this phenomenon in an up close and personal fashion. The main character, an aspiring actress named Sarah, is the type of person who would do whatever it takes to be famous--whether it be giving supernatural blowjobs or violently killing all her friends! I will give the actress playing Sarah, Alex Essoe, a lot of credit for pulling this role off; she successfully presents an unhinged, narcissistic weirdo with no dignity or integrity. While this is fiction (OR IS IT?! dun dun dun), it's not hard to imagine dreamy-eyed hopefuls who would kill to be famous especially in today's selfie culture. Ms. Essoe encapsulates that image perfectly.
One of the best features this film has going for it was the awesome soundtrack. It definitely sets the tone well, and a lot of horror films have been stepping their game up in this department. Makes me very proud! Another commendable quality was how engaging and moody the atmosphere is at the beginning. You know something is not right, but you're not sure where the story is heading; for example, there are tiny hints such as pentagram-like symbols branded onto the casting agents. I do think they still played it safe with how these sleazy and shady Hollywood types could be. The film obviously implies they do have supernatural powers, but we don't understand anything--we have to use existing rumors in reality to fill in the gaps; if I have to leave the confines of the story to grasp it, you fail at telling a competent story. This is kind of ironic since the film emphasizes the notion of "show, don't tell." I'm not saying they do a poor job in this aspect, they simply leave too much to the imagination when we needed at least a few answers to draw a reasonable conclusion.
As for the ending dropping the ball...essentially, I would have liked an explanation regarding whether Sarah was possessed by a demon, or whatever, or if she simply had an internal evil awakened. The transformation also came off too sci-fi--she looks more like an alien in her final form than a demon. Furthermore, the film doesn't end in a way that has meaning or resonates with the overall implications. Sarah wants to be a star--is she one or not after all of this? A better conclusion would have been to show that this was her origin and end it with her maybe having an interview as a famous celebrity now. Would that have been too cornball? I don't know but at least it would wrap everything up by stating that this is what it truly takes to become famous in the industry. For all we know Sarah will simply be discarded like, presumably, many before her. There is even a subtle line about the company trying to make a comeback. This would imply they need specific people to make this all work. Okaaaay...now what? What is the goal? If the companies can lose power, how do they manage to keep all this shit they do under control?
I don't want it to sound like this movie is bad, because it's quite good, but it veers off into nowhere-land by the end; the ending usually makes it or breaks it for casual audiences. I do want to emphasize that this is the main flaw in the film...if you can get past that, the rest is surprisingly well done, put together excellently, and deals with a subject matter ripe with potential. The music is cool, the style and cinematography are solid, the acting is good, and the story keeps you intrigued. This is definitely worth investing your time in, but be well aware of how disappointing the ending can possibly be and with little answers provided. You can easily draw a conclusion, but the ending is so vague almost any theory could be feasible.
Notable Moment: When the one girl gets her face smashed. Come on, we hardly knew this character--she didn't deserve that brutal of a death!
Final Rating: 6/10
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