"Vox Lux" presents a cautionary tale of pop rock fame. Raffey Cassidy plays a high school music student who witnesses and survives an awful event. She responds to her grief with song. Her song goes viral. Soon, managers & trainers take over and turn her into a pop sensation. We skip ahead 20 years. Natalie Portman replaces Cassidy as the grown up version, still performing, but not very happy about it. We learn her life has turned into a series of tantrums, rehabs and hospitalizations. Now she aims desperately for a comeback. Portman screams, acts out, and runs over those around her. The film concludes with a pop concert of the worst music I've heard in years. "Vox Lux" made me appreciate "A Star Is Born" for threading the needle of a show business rise-and-fall story, rather than in the case of "Vox Lux" missing the mark by a mile. "Vox Lux," rated "R," zero stars. Does it deliver what it promises? Ugly story and bad music. Is it entertaining? Grating. Is it worth the price of admission? In a word, no.
