Collider makes the case for an indie horror gem that carries the same spirit as Obsession, though it costs a fraction of the price. Starry Eyes, a 2014 feature from directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, follows a tale of ambition, sacrifice and possession. It stands as a small-budget treasure that Collider says earns the attention Obsession has drawn, offering the perfect replacement for fans craving more independent horror energy.
Sarah works as a waitress in Los Angeles while dreaming of becoming an actress. She auditions for a horror movie titled The Silver Scream, and gradually comes to understand that she must surrender a piece of her own identity in order to secure the role. The setup resembles a Faustian bargain reimagined as contemporary Hollywood, with a secret society concealed behind a fabricated studio named Astraeus Pictures. Released prior to the MeToo movement going viral, the film’s subject matter feels prescient rather than merely responding to events.
Sarah’s Descent Into the Cult
Sarah is played by Alex Essoe, who took on her first leading role here. Her work helped set her up as a Scream Queen, and she later teamed up repeatedly with Mike Flanagan after taking the part of Wendy in Doctor Sleep. The setup keeps things plain: Sarah is given a part, but the cost is heavy. Through the whole audition process, she loses hold of her sense of reality, and the film follows her fall from hopeful to desperate.
The directors name Possession as an influence, pointing to the work of Isabelle Adjani. That influence is on display in Essoe’s spiral, where moments could easily appear absurd but never do. The actress’s fearlessness and the strong direction give the character an added level of ferocity. The low budget actually works in the film’s favor, since when Sarah loses control, the scenes look raw and unsettling, almost like something out of Requiem for a Dream.
Hollywood as a Cult’s Hunting Ground
The movie sets up its occult horror story inside the Hollywood studio system. Astraeus Pictures serves as a cover for a cult that targets vulnerable young actresses. The filmmakers make everything look grim and unappealing, with exterior shots that stay dark instead of bright. The studio where Sarah takes her audition comes across as chilly and empty, perhaps a further reference to the look of Possession.
This film poses the question of why anyone would subject themselves to such torment, and the cult answers by targeting the most susceptible souls, preying upon their masochism to recruit them. The tale is unsettling, with ties to actual events, yet it refrains from beating its audience over the head with heavy-handed moralizing. Viewers can approach it simply as a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition, or as a horror story about becoming an unwitting pawn of a Satanic cult, and either reading holds up equally well.
The Budget That Built the Film
The budget for Starry Eyes was quite limited, raising roughly $50,000 via Kickstarter. Even so, it was still more generous than Obsession, which came with a $750,000 budget. What little funding they did have showed up most clearly on screen as the film’s third act grew heavier with gore and makeup effects, particularly the work done on Essoe as her mental and physical condition worsened.
Lead casting is always important, but this is a case where great lead casting elevates the entire film. In the same way Christian Bale’s performance as Patrick Bateman made American Psycho into a great film, Essoe’s performance anchors Starry Eyes. Sarah’s decline — from balancing work and acting classes while feeling bright-eyed and hopeful, to forgoing her inhibitions and sanity under the guise that it will help her future — makes her character more tragic.
She finally gives in for the sake of winning the role, and the movie makes clear how utterly without any other choices she feels. A scene where our lead character removes her own fingernails because they are already falling out is among the film’s most striking images. But the scenes that are truly hardest to sit through involve her forcing a smile while trapped at a job she despises.
Comparing the Two Films
| Film | Budget | Lead Actor | Premise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsession | $750,000 | Inde Navarrette | The Monkey’s Paw |
| Starry Eyes | ~$50,000 | Alex Essoe | Faustian Bargain |
Both films are independently made without big-name actors or studio backing, and they share the same theme: the hidden costs of success. But the comparison between them is stark. Obsession had a much larger budget, yet Starry Eyes managed to make its effects feel just as unsettling. Where Obsession focuses on a supernatural bargain, Starry Eyes leans harder into the horror of the Hollywood machine itself.
Where to Watch It Now
The movie Starry Eyes can be viewed at no cost on Tubi, with a running time of 98 minutes that keeps things moving without ever losing momentum. It came out on July 29, 2014, and both its screenplay and direction come from Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, who worked as a team on both.
Amanda Fuller plays Tracy, the roommate of Sarah, while Louis Dezseran takes on the part of the nameless producer behind The Silver Scream. The movie came out a few years prior to the MeToo movement going viral, and its subject matter feels more ahead of the curve than merely reacting to events already underway.
Why Starry Eyes Works
The film succeeds because it commits fully to its premise. It does not wink at the audience or treat the horror as a joke. Sarah’s decline is genuinely tragic, and the cult’s manipulation is genuinely disturbing. The low budget forces the filmmakers to be creative with what they have, and that restraint pays off in the final act.
A low-budget fright picture built around ambition and cult manipulation, Starry Eyes turns its lead into a Scream Queen and earns its place alongside Obsession. Collider points to it as a fitting substitute for viewers who enjoyed that earlier title, and it can be viewed at no cost right now on Tubi. The outlet’s own advice is clear: if you liked the first, this is the next one to see.
Source material: “Forget 'Obsession,' This Indie Horror Thriller Is the Perfect Replacement,” Collider.
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