By My favorite animal as a child was a wolf, because I was a little boy, and wolves are objectively the coolest thing a little boy could like. As an adult I still find them very rad, and films featuring wolves (or weird deer) tick up about eight notches on my interest meter. I’m a simple man.
Starfish, however, looks anything but simple. The waves, the colors, the bits of animation–it’s all clearly shot with meticulous eye and artistic spirit. The world has a beautiful desolation with only a lone woman left to wander. A wolf also shows up in a couple shots. I’m sure the wolf will probably turn out to be a metaphor, but I can live with that.
The story follows Aubrey. Just after her best friend dies, some alien signal comes down and appears to eradicate all of mankind except her. Bummer. All she has left is a cassette left by her friend that reads, “THIS MIXTAPE WILL SAVE THE WORLD.” Sounds like something out of Stranger Things.
Could this whole thing be a hokey mood piece about exploring grief? Yeah, maybe. But it could also be a gorgeous parable well worth experiencing. We’ll find out next month as Starfish hits select theaters starting March 13 with a VOD release to follow on May 28, 2019.
