Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Starfish Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 13, 2020

Writer/director A.T. White attempts to craft a low-budget brain-bleeder with “Starfish,” his take on a creature feature where the odyssey of monsterdom is contained within. There are wild visions presented here, but as freak-out cinema goes, it’s not a picture for those with limited patience. White moves forward carefully with his psychological free dive, keeping up with trends in digital cinema that deliver more visual detail than dramatic lure, working to disturb the traditional viewing experience with concentration on imagery and mental distortion, keeping common storytelling away from the endeavor. White certainly knows how to put together a sharp-looking movie, and “Starfish” is ideal for those who enjoy meditative missions into the interpretive unknown. Dramatically, it’s intermittently compelling, but after about 30 minutes of this ambling effort, this very well may White’s intention with his feature-length helming debut.

Returning home for the funeral of her friend, Grace (Christina Masterson), Aubrey (Virginia Gardner) is reluctant to engage with anyone, quickly retreating from the reception. She makes her way to Grace’s apartment, taking a grand tour of the young’s woman’s private world, inspecting her writings and belongings, while taking care of her pets, including a bowl of jellyfish and a Bellini, a turtle with biting issues. Soaking up the essence of the dwelling, Aubrey spends the night, trying to wrap her mind around life choices and personal estrangements. Waking up the next morning, Aubrey discovers an emptied town ravaged by strange creatures who are ready to feast on any human they can find. Quickly retreating to the safety of Grace’s living space, Aubrey is soon contacted by a man on a two-way radio, instructed to find and follow a special mix tape left by the deceased, which is part of a collection of cassettes that contain unique signals capable of opening “doorways,” permitting the listener to travel without movement, reaching previously unexplored passageways of consciousness.

The life and times of Grace aren’t explained for quite some time. She’s a mystery person, and one who was very important to Aubrey’s life. The grieving woman is stopped on her way out of the reception by one of Grace’s friends, who shares that the deceased would discuss her during their conversations, a revelation that almost chills Aubrey, who soon takes off to explore the town, left with only her thoughts. She ends up inside Grace’s home, breaking in to explore what was left behind, partially out of curiosity, but also as a way to connect with the dead. “Starfish” spends an extraordinary amount of screen time on the tour, studying the visitor as she examines the details of each room, coming into contact with personal items and a reveal of kink, with Grace training her telescope on a neighboring house’s bedroom, where a couple frequently has sex. There are living creatures too, and Aubrey gives them care (she feeds starfish to the jellyfish), settling in for an evening that’s meant to be reflective, but instead becomes transcendental.

Before something is unleashed from deep within, White organizes a viewing experience that’s enigmatic and heavily detailed. He’s following where moviemakers such as Shane Carruth and Denis Villeneuve have been, using his camera not strictly for storytelling means, but puzzling as well, offering glimpses of objects, creatures, and air itself, asking the audience to unclench some and go with the flow, which often takes its time to make its way downstream. In fact, Aubrey’s introduction runs a full act, with monstrous events commencing around the 30-minute mark, and even then, “Starfish” doesn’t evolve into an adventure film. Instead, it details the experience within, tracking Aubrey’s discovery of Grace’s tapes, which contain pieces of a signal, broken up in hidden cassettes stashed around town. It’s a treasure hunt of the senses, but “Starfish” doesn’t indulge such overt scenes of discovery.

Starfish Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a detailed examination of frame particulars in "Starfish," which often lingers on Gardner's face. Close-ups are exact, protecting emotive acting, and town tours are dimensional, offering a clear view of empty roads and distant horizons. Interiors preserve decoration, and costuming is fibrous, most notably with Aubrey's furry animal covering and sweaters. Colors are precise, offering bright whites for snowbound activities and more oaky rooms. Gardner's blue eyes pop, along with her blonde hair, and cassette hues are varied, adding some primary power to the viewing experience. Delineation is satisfactory, often dealing with limited lighting and shadow play. Grain for certain sequences is heavy but film-like.

Starfish Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Being such a sonic experience, the 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix supports the layered design of "Starfish" with a crisp track that's quite evocative at times. Dialogue exchanges are sharply defined, managing emotional efforts and more directly threatened reactions, while cassette recordings are appropriately aged. Scoring is distinct, presenting acoustic moods with pleasing balance, and soundtrack selections offer more power, providing low-end throb. Surrounds are active with compelling moments of separation and some panning effects to contribute to the cosmic push of the film. Atmospherics with cold weather travel and room tone handle superbly. Sound effects are exact.

Starfish Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• CD Soundtrack is included.

• Intro (2:36, HD) has director A.T. White at home during quarantine, sharing his love of physical media (claiming to own over 16,000 titles), lamenting the loss of a few extras due to the pandemic, and thanking viewers for supporting indie cinema.

• Commentary #1 features director A.T. White and director of photography Alberto Banares.

• Commentary #2 features White and We Are Geeks.

• Making Of (58:46, HD) is an extensive look at the creation of "Starfish," with White hosting the in-depth look at the production effort. Technical challenges are highlighted, but White also taps into the psychological experience of filmmaking, communicating his thoughts as the picture took up four years of his life. BTS footage is plentiful, offering a full sense of cast and crew camaraderie and labor.

• "The Tortoises" (3:26, HD) are home movies shot by White's pal Shannon Hollander, who documented the life and lunches of the two turtles that played Bellini.

• Animatic Comparison (3:13, HD) provides an overview of the animated sequence found in "Starfish."

• Test Sizzle (2:38, HD) is a concept trailer for the film.

• Music Video (3:07, HD) is "Racehorse" by the band Ghostlight.

• Deleted Scenes (22:25, HD) are presented with commentary by White.

• Q&As at the Alamo Drafthouse offers discussions from March 21st, 2019 (46:04, HD) and February 29th, 2020 (23:21, HD).

• And a Festival Teaser Trailer (:30, HD) and a Blu-ray Trailer (2:01, HD) are included.

Starfish Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

White clearly has talent and an obsessive way with shooting "Starfish" (collaborating with gifted cinematographer Alberto Banares), almost collecting images instead of using them. Still, striking areas of personal ache remain, watching Aubrey deal with grief from multiple areas of her life, using the power of the cassettes to confront unfinished business, coming to terms with her shortcomings and missed opportunities. "Starfish" simulates a cathartic experience, but it doesn't quite become one, though Gardner does commit to everything White throws at her. This is specialized work, and for some, it might spark an engrossing trek into the challenges of maturation and introspection, but it's seldom consistent, almost becoming a picture just for White alone.