There was some buzz about Starfish when it made the festival circuit. At the time, I made a mental note to check it out at some point. But then I didn’t. I can’t really explain why though. My usual excuse of, “it wasn’t on a streaming service that I already pay for,” doesn’t work because it has been for a while now. So, when deciding on my 10th new-to-me film of a projected 31 for October 2025, I chose it. Because, why not? It’s been in my queues on at least two streaming services for what seems like an eternity. Might as well clean house while I’m watching so many movies for spooky season. You’re probably stoked to read what I thought of a film that I so enthusiastically jumped on 7 years after its premiere, huh? Let’s get into it, shall we?
Aubrey is distraught over the death of her best friend. She breaks into the deceased woman’s apartment to drift through rooms and possessions like she’s touring through her memories of the moments they shared. While she is emotionally and physically isolated and having very strange dreams, the rest of world experiences some sort of alien/interdimensional apocalypse. When she finally leaves, she finds empty streets strewn with abandoned cars and even a crashed jet engine. A creature spots her and chases her back to her late friend’s place where she is contacted via walkie-talkie by a man offering help. He plays some audio clip that runs the creature off but doesn’t give Aubrey much information. He says that her dead friend may have found the key to understanding what is happening. After trying to ignore the problem for several days (weeks?), she searches for answers and finds a message left for her that sends her on a quest to find 7 cassette tapes that will complete a mysterious signal. Will she find them? Will they help? Or is this the end of humanity?
I’ve read that director A. T. White was encouraged to make his own film by director Gareth Edwards after meeting him at a screening of his film, Monsters. This makes a lot of sense as both films are intimate, low budget explorations of human connection in the face of an unfathomable alien (or whatever) invasion. In this case, the connection between the two young women has been severed through death but Aubrey is able to maintain it through the tapes that her friend left for her. Her grief has consumed her to the point that she literally misses the beginning of the end of the world. Films that center grief like this one often elicit eye rolls from many horror fans, but Starfish couldn’t really be the effective story that it is without it. Aubrey is adrift and the search for the tapes in the spots that she and her friend cherished is both keeping her going and keeping her occupied while the world dies around her. It’s quite sad. Virginia Gardner does a superb job of carrying the film. Her heartache is palpable and her drive is understandable. What I will nitpick about the film is its use of CGI for the creatures. With the exception of one massive monster seen in the distance, these could have been practical. They scare most when glimpsed fleetingly and the CGI is acceptable in those instances. But when we get a good long look at the cartoonish things, it takes the viewer right out of the immersion. That’s too bad, but the movie is still worth watching for its dread, strong characterization, and emotional center.
The Final Cut: Starfish is an intimate sci-fi horror indie with a strong emotional center. Virginia Gardner shines as the sole character in 90% of the scenes.
No Real Danger 