Starry Eyes: The Meaning of Astraeus Explained

Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer’s horror film, Starry Eyes, is a bold and brutal satire of Hollywood that examines and exaggerates the type of sacrifices stars-to-be make in order to secure their place in the spotlight. Released in 2014 the film stood out within the genre as gory, glorified look at film industry culture and competition.

The successful product of a Kickstarter campaign, Starry Eyes was praised for the aesthetic nightmare it brings forth through the journey of its protagonist, Sarah, as she pursues her dream of acting. A breakout performance for lead actress Alex Essoe, the character of Sarah feels eerily familiar, an innocent marred by the prospect of fame, her soft spoken passivity a guise for guttural determination. Sarah’s path to stardom is muddled with making-it-in-Hollywood tropes, including competitive female friends and sexual harassment during auditions before her career takes a more gruesome turn.

Faced with a unsupportive, outspoken friend group, Sarah keeps quiet in her personal life but shows a harsher side of herself when auditioning and meeting with prospective producers. After a particularly harrowing series of auditions for “The Silver Scream”, Sarah holds the attention of executives at Astreaus Pictures, a mysterious production company that promises her fame if she follows their rules. A theatric and threatening man—known only as The Producer—offers Sarah the role in exchange for sex and, after feeling fed up with her stalled career, she agrees. The following day Sarah finds herself going through a gruesome transformation. Her body is deteriorating rapidly, and she lashes out violently at her friends before finding herself reborn in the hands of Astreaus Pictures.

The Meaning of “Astraeus” & Greek Mythology Connection

Sarah’s grisly decay is especially difficult to watch, as her soul appears to be rotting as well. This is the treacherous process deemed necessary by The Producer, who insists Sarah must embrace her demise in order to be successfully reborn as the star he believes her to be. The members of Astraeus, revealed to be a demon worshipping cult made up of Hollywood elites, bury the quickly decomposing Sarah before performing a ritual which brings her back to life, reborn and renewed. She rises, completely hairless, from the dirt with the strength, vigor and purity that Astraeus previously robbed her of. A healthy Sarah returns to her apartment and kills her roommate, the only person who showed her sympathy and support, before donning the gifts left for her by Astraeus. Wearing her gown, wig and a pentagram necklace Sarah stares into the mirror, admiring her new self as her green eyes begin to glow.

According to Greek mythology, Astreaus was an astrological deity, his name directly translating to “starry”. Son of Titan gods Crius and Eurybia, Astreaus was associated with wind, dusk, and nightfall, and was married to Eos, the goddess of dawn. Astraeus and Eos, as night and day, are said to have made many offspring representing twilight. The members of Astraeus and their reborn, flawless stars are direct reference to this fact, their overnight burial acting as a satanic sort of gestation period. Astraea, the goddess of innocence, justice and purity, is among the children of Astraeus and Eos, her name translating to “star maiden”. One of many children born from Astraeus Pictures, Sarah feels like a worthy parallel to Astraea, specifically in relation to the transformation she undergoes throughout the film.

The horror genre loves to play on the concept of innocent versus sinful, especially when it comes to women and the acts that characterize them as one or the other. The transformation within Starry Eyes is a twofold look at how women are broken down by the entertainment industry. Sarah begins to suffer physically after she trades sex for her role, the literal deterioration of her body reminding her that it is no longer her own. Her mind becomes vicious and volatile, taking on the dark tone of Astraeus and the carnage their group finds commendable. Once the facade of Sarah’s innocence is shattered, she embarks on a violent killing spree, showing no mercy to her apathetic friends. She ends up delivering her own warped version of justice. Sarah’s mind and body are now ruled by the industry, the promise of fame a bright light at the end of her grim, gory tunnel. Her old self is literally shed, and Astraeus is there to offer her a new one, molding Sarah in their image—they have birthed yet another star.

About The Author