Siren Queen

Luli Wei wants to become a star, but the film industry has narrow ideas about the roles available to a Chinese American girl. She refuses to limit herself to the obedient characters offered to her. In this version of pre-Code Hollywood, the bargain is more dangerous than a difficult contract: studios trade in blood, ancient magic and the sacrificed futures of aspiring performers. They seek control over names, faces and even the women Luli loves. Her determination to succeed draws her deeper into a world where monstrous roles may offer more freedom than respectable ones. Nghi Vo's fantasy follows an ambitious outsider confronting the price of fame and the struggle to claim an identity the machinery of stardom cannot own.