Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Everyone handles grief differently, but most of us are lucky enough not to mourn a loved one while dealing with an external apocalypse. If you're wondering how that might play out, look no further than 2018 Starfishit's a strange film, which, despite its disjointed storytelling, eventually gets to its point. I call it disjointed, but part of me thinks that writer-director AT White intended his delivery, because grief is never linear, which makes a lot of sense here.
Essentially, the film is about loss, but while our character is dealing with a range of complex emotions such as regret and grief, there is a much greater threat waiting outside, and we get glimpses of what could be the end of the world. The two stories don't always come together cleanly, but I'm okay with that because of how beautiful it is Starfish he is shot. Strictly speaking visually, this movie makes me feel silly for a moment like never before. It's a kind of second-hand grief that's hard to put into words.
Aubrey's Alien Odyssey
Starfish it keeps things vague at first, but its themes flow in naturally, which further supports my belief that White knew exactly what he was doing with the plot. We meet Aubrey (Virginia Gardner) at the funeral of her best friend Grace (Christina Masterson). Another party attendee mentions a collection of mixtapes Grace has made that only Aubrey will understand, which sends her to Grace's house, where she decides to stay for a while.
At first, Aubrey often mopes. He lives in a space that used to feel alive, but now plays like a sanctuary of missed opportunities. We don't learn much about Grace specifically, but it's suggested that towards the end of her life she became different and erratic, often talking about conspiracy theories.
Aubrey begins to see monsters outside that come and go without a clear pattern, and is eventually contacted by someone who claims to have been close to Grace towards the end. He tells Aubrey that Grace received a radio signal that opened a gate, allowing an unknown life form to enter Earth and wreak havoc.
At first, Aubrey slowly realizes that Grace may have been telling the truth, and that she is now expected to finish what Grace started. He finds a tape addressed to him, with Grace explaining that there are seven other hidden tapes, each with a song and a clue that leads to the next. Played in the right order, these tapes can close the gate and stop the attack, which, in Aubrey's view, has wiped out most of the world.
Grief Rears Its Ugly Head in Good Ways
My first thought while watching Starfish it was that Grace was unbelievably cruel by sending her best friend to hunt down militants during the alien invasion right after her funeral. What is clear, however, is that this may have been part of some grand design, as if Grace understood something Aubrey did not.
Aubrey, feeling closer to Grace than ever, throws herself into the mission, believing it has real world consequences. It also has the strong effect that Grace's consciousness is still there, communicating with her in real time.
Or, none of this is true. It may all be an expression of Aubrey's grief as she processes the loss of someone taken too soon. I'm leaning toward the idea that the attack is real and the world is falling apart, but the monsters work by such strange laws that they might just be reflections of Aubrey's inner state and unresolved feelings about Grace.
One detail I'm still chewing over is the animation sequence that occurs when the monsters start closing. It can be a budget job, as animation is cheaper than rendering large-scale effects. Or it could be a deliberate stylistic shift, showing that Aubrey's perception of reality is slipping as she struggles to deal with it.
Don't Worry So Much About Storytelling
Telling a story in Starfish it can feel uneven, sometimes deliberately vague and sometimes too focused, but the whole experience comes through. It's a film where the whole weighs more than any individual part.
Visually, it's amazing. The texture of the characters feels deliberate, not like a limitation. The colors are rich but soft, and everything has this dreamlike quality even when the tone turns dark.
The standout feature, however, is the music. The mixtape concept works well throughout, but I didn't expect the final needle drop to be Sigur Rós' “Ekki múkk.” That alone is enough to make even the most stoic person stare out the window and rethink their entire existence.
Equal parts hurt the gut and hope, Starfish it doesn't follow the traditional way, but still tells a complete story. Like grief, it moves in circles rather than straight lines, and that feels intentional. What it says about a conventional plot, it does by forcing you to feel exactly how it wants to feel.
As of this writing, Starfish is streaming for free on Tubi.
