"MaXXXine" - Film full of Sin

Ti West (2024)

I will not accept a sequel I do not deserve

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The X trilogy is one that I had a strong fascination with. Kicking off with ‘X’ set in a time period on the edge of the rise of slashers, with parallels to the pseudo-slasher of the time The Texas Chainsaw (1979). With the outback road trip in a van with shots of roadkill, low angle walking booty shots and utilising the structure of the farm house for framing from within reminiscent of inside the Chainsaw house. Plus references to the golden age slasher Psycho both referred to in the film's structure along with visual references. I vividly remember the movie ending and thinking, “That was pretty decent.” and went on with my day. Then I remember seeing a trailer for a movie called Pearl from out of nowhere not long after seeing X. I didn’t pay attention to it, literally, I ignored it until more trailers for it dropped and upon watching I had to do a double take on the whole thing when it clicked. “Oh this is a prequel to X…Wait, didn’t X come out only a few months back? How did this happen so quickly?” And while investigating how Pearl came to be, my interest in this series peaked. We went from a typical stylish A24 throw-back slasher to a typical stylish A24 golden era character study. So when I saw the next scheduled instalment was set to an 80’s LA backdrop, I was ready to see the ending of the saga. And to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. This was the splash of water thrown on my face as a reminder to not get caught up in the hype of things. The kick (or high-heel stomp) in the groin to remind myself to keep expectations managed.

MaXXXine is a movie that felt like it suffered from an identity crisis. Like Ti West looked at all the major controversies and high cultural events during the 80s and thought he would take on all of them. From the rise of rampant infamous serial killers, to satanic panic, video nasties and censorship alongside conspiracies around the Hollywood elite and hash realities of trying to make it in the City of Sinners. And this overstuffing contrasts heavily with the simplicity of the previous films. While watching this I could think of movies that really focused on one of these themes in a similar setting while adding a little something that took it to the next level. West did manage to utilise the setting visually going from the heights of the Hollywood hills all the way down the slums of video stores and peep shows. Which is one of my faviourite settings to explore in cinema, the filthy underbelly of 70’s - 80’s America. Shout out to Taxi Driver and The Warriors. Ignoring all the fluff, the film is a tries to be a murder mystery following the footsteps of Maxine as a Giallo style black glove killer stalks her, threatening to reveal her actions from the events of X, as she’s just starting to make her way from the porno scene to the silver screen.

The plot kicks off watching Maxine (played by the Mia Goth who feels like she really lost herself into the role over the years) doing an audition for a slasher sequel, 6 years after the events of X (Or the Texas Porn Star Massacre). When she gets an instruction, “she looks down the lens and expresses her trauma”. Straight away, that little 4th wall break explained the film to me… we’re going to watch Maxine overcome the trauma of X while facing the difficulties of making it in Hollywood. Although this was an aspect of her character that wasn’t really explored. Except for one moment where trauma reared its head was during one scene where she was getting a head cast done. While at the point it rolled around, it felt like the movie remembered, “oh yeah we should have a scene where she’s been affected by the X events”. I’m not saying that she had to have frequent panic attacks or break down in tears at the sight of an old lady. But when you watch her nonchalantly crush the balls of Buster Keaton who had just threatened her with a knife and a head cast is the thing that sends her mind back to the Texas Farm, I struggled to see the correlation. 

Spreading across each film, we see how the film industry manipulates our lead character. In X we see how far people will go for fame, Pearl using the rise of film to escape her repressive up bring and MaXXXine (amongst the many other points it tries to hit) trying to stay afloat in a cut throat industry despite outside influences. This is mentioned a few times via Elizabeth Debicki playing an up and coming director making a sequel to an era appropriate slasher, The Puritan 2. Who speaks directly to the audience about how even though what they’re making is schlock, this is something that could help her break into the industry. Even though she talks about making high art, she comically and half-assly smears blood over the face of one of her actresses played by Lily Collins. And even though West has reported saying this character isn’t a self-insert, it feels very much like a commentary on taboo horror films still having a voice. 

Further to add to the list of sub-plots, we have Kevin Bacon acting as a private investigator to track down and return her to his employer. And he felt very under-utilised despite being fun to watch as a sleazy private eye dressed like Jack Nicolson in ChinaTown. White suit, nose bandage and all. And while on the top of not using great actors to the full potential, Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale are detectives to just occasionally investigate Maxine and murders. They’ll appear, reveal bodies of dead victims in front of the public so Maxine can see it’s her friend and that’s about all they do. Look at dead bodies, ask Maxine questions she refuses to answer and then they just appear at the end… Oh boy, the end.

And to tie up this mess, as Maxine goes to the private party in the Hollywood hills that her past friends had been invited to but met their demise, to find a cult of zealots making snuff films to take down Hollywood. All run by her evangelical Father (Simon Prast), also revealing that her Father has been the one going on a murder spree killing off the impure that surrounds his daughter. Yeah it’s a mess. I laughed out aloud when these cultists in robes flung open their gowns to all be holding guns as they pre-emptively anticipated Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale to start a shoot out. The only part of this ending I found entertaining was the satisfying kill of the reverend. But that was it, other than that it was a pretty bland ending regardless of all the kills. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.

 If my points weren’t clear but this was very disappointing. It found this to be all over the place and unfocused (like this review). There’s word about Ti West continuing the saga and I would hope he holds off and doesn’t turn the X series into a parody of itself by being an ongoing slasher series. Although, I can see him trying to exploit the 90’s self-awareness with Scream and begin dabbling in the Cotton-On teen orientated cast.  

MaXXXine (2024)

Director: Ti West

Writer: Ti West

Cinematography: Eliot Rockett

Stars: Mia Goth; Elizabeth Debicki; Kevin Bacon; Michelle Monaghan