Maps to the Stars

Maps to the Stars

Maps to the Stars is an exploration of a deeply dysfunctional group of industry elites whose lives are intertwined in disturbing and unsettling manner. Hollywood is known for a number of atrocious acts and this movie sets its dark undertones on a satirical drama mystery plot map. Indeed a perplexing piece of work.

  • πŸ”Ή Agatha Weiss (Mia Wasikowska) – A young, scarred woman arrives in L.A. hoping to establish a connection with her famous family while seeking for a job.
  • πŸ”Ή Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) – An actress struggling to cope with life after the death of her abusive mother is obsessed with starring in a remake of the film she buried her mother in.
  • πŸ”Ή Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird) – An addict child star on the verge of self destruction.
  • πŸ”Ή Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) – A self-help guru foresees the pain of Hollywood elite as a market to exploit without care for the pain he suffers.
  • πŸ”Ή Clarice Taggart (Sarah Gadon) – The towering figure from the past of Havana’s life who still endures a lot of grief psychologically.

As Agatha begins to worm her way into becoming a prominent figure within Hollywood, she starts off as Havana’s assistant. Stepping on the trauma and dark secrets buried in plain sight, the story is brought to a pure psychological climax level of breakdown, shrouded with ghostly visions, violence, and Agatha’s aggression.

  • πŸ† Awards & Nominations
  • Maps to the Stars received award recognition primarily because of Julianne Moore’s powerful performance, including:
  • πŸ† Best Actress (Julianne Moore) – Cannes Film Festival.
  • πŸ† Winner Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress – Sarah Gadon.
  • πŸ† Nominee Palme d’ Or – Cannes Film Festival.

Julianne Moore’s portrayal of Havana Segrand posses a frightening and bizarre dark comedy which earned her great acclaim.

🎭 Cast & Crew

  • Julianne Moore as Havana Segrand
  • Mia Wasikowska as Agatha Weiss
  • John Cusack as Stafford Weiss
  • Evan Bird as Benjie Weiss
  • Olivia Williams as Cristina Weiss
  • Robert Pattinson as Jerome Fontana, a dreaming limo driver
  • Sarah Gadon as Clarice Taggart

πŸ”Ή David Cronenberg practiced his usual body horror, psychological creep, and surrealism but twisted it to focus on celebrity instead of his customary sci-fi horror.

πŸ“Š IMDB & Audience Reception

IMDb Rating 6.2

Rotten Tomatoes 61% Revies (Critics) | 45% User Rating (Audience)

Metacritic Rating 67/100

While it attracted critical attention for its Hollywood biting satire, thrilling tone, and bold acting, the discomforting aura and revolting character transformations made it contentious to viewers.

πŸ” Personal Insights And Cultural Significance

Maps to the Stars does not follow the usual structure of Hollywood drama. Instead, it offers a disturbing, grotesque and utterly surreal depiction of celebrity culture and fame along with trauma at the family level.

πŸ”Ή Hollywood as a Horror Show: To put it in simpler terms, the film shows that there is a β€˜fame disease’ and depicts the industry as a toxic and incestuous cycle of exploitation paired with narcissism.

πŸ”Ή Ghosts Of The Past: Abusive parents and their sins haunt many characters on a literal and metaphorical level. The pain of repression becomes so overwhelming that it borders on psychological horror.

πŸ”Ή Julianne Moore’s Performance: Havana is a trainwreck of insecurity, cruelty and despair. It embodies the dark side of an actress who has become obsessed with reclaiming her lost props.

Cronenberg has done an amazing job capturing the essence of horror which is evident in the poisoned fairytales of modern Hollywood. The combination of awe and discomfort is unrivaled need we say more.

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