Starfish Hotel

STARFISH HOTEL is a film with bags of atmosphere but little to no story to support it. It's one of those style-over-substance movies that works hard to build a sense of foreboding and mystery, but when it comes down to it it's a complete waste of time for viewers looking for concrete plotting and actual answers.

There are some things I liked about this film; the cinematography isn't half bad, with the shadowy set locations bringing to mind the noirish likes of DARK CITY, and I love the use of the haunting piano music as part of the film's score. That's where the good stuff ends, though. The story involves Koichi Sato (INFECTION) who goes on a hunt for his missing wife and becomes involved in the strange world of a mystery writer and his creations.

There are plot elements borrowed from the likes of DONNIE DARKO and other movies, but it all adds up to a very insignificant storyline when it boils down to it, and you do wonder why you wasted the time watching it. That's because STARFISH HOTEL is a timewaster, nothing more.