Film Review: MaXXXine

In this outrageously entertaining finale of his surprise X trilogy, writer/director/editor Ti West culminates the story of “being a star” that he has been building towards since the very beginning. Switching gears into grimy 80s slasher sleaze, MaXXXine presents an entirely different subgenre of horror than either of its predecessors. Stylistically owing much to Italian giallo slaughter-fests, West forms a satisfying, intense crescendo to Maxine’s arc. Fresh off her expressive turn as Pearl, Mia Goth completes her metamorphosis into a fiery femme fatale.

Set in 1985, MaXXXine takes place six years after X, in the not-so-glamorous world of Hollywood. As such, we follow Maxine Minx, well on her way to self-actualizing her stardom. The film opens with Maxine’s audition for a female-driven supernatural horror sequel entitled The Puritan II. Unsurprisingly, Maxine directly addresses the camera “through her trauma,” clearly bagging the coveted title role. On her way off the studio lot, she screams at the other auditioning blondes to just go home. The “title card” reveals Maxine’s license plate sporting “MaXXXine” in the first truly iconic moment of the runtime. By all accounts, it would appear initially that the mayhem Maxine survived back at the farm has been left behind in her rearview. 

Putting to rest a horrific experience such as the one Maxine was forced to endure may be easier said than done. Around every corner, Maxine is haunted by the ghosts of her past, including the specter of Pearl. A mysterious figure sporting leather gloves and an affinity for Maxine’s line of work always seems to be lurking. Catching up with Maxine will be particularly fun for fans of the previous two films. In fact, I would go as far as saying that without them, one would be entirely lost. The connective tissue between titles ensures that all three slide together as with pieces of a puzzle; each subsequent entry strengthens and fleshes out the lore. Maxine realizes, perhaps too late, that the looming threat of “The Night Stalker” taking over the entire news cycle may have materialized before her very eyes. The leather-clad murderer begins to pick off those around her one by one…

As with X and Pearl before it, MaXXXine’s stylish direction from Ti West and immaculate attention to detail give the film a texture and dynamism that many sequels would kill for. This trickles down from every level, from the electric soundtrack (which includes “Obsession,” “Bette Davis Eyes,” “Burn in Hell,” “Somebody’s Watching Me,” and many more) to the immaculately cherry-picked ensemble cast to stunning camera work from director of photography, Eliot Rockett. Somehow, against all odds, the stuffed script manages to juggle preproduction of a horror movie, a killer on the loose, series Easter eggs, and Maxine wrestling with the demons of her past. West even leaves time to visit the actual Bates Motel set from Hitchhock’s Psycho in a potent blast from the past. The result is always entertaining, masterfully jumping between star-studded encounters and Maxine’s own self-destruction.

Amongst the fresh faces, Maxine encounters a variety of interesting characters in Tinseltown. Best friend and video store worker Leon (Moses Sumney), peep show colleague Tabby Martin (Halsey), saucy publicist Teddy Night (Giancarlo Esposito), and Puritan II director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) are among some of the most intriguing. Two detectives (Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale) who show up once the bodies begin to pile up at Maxine’s feet also leave their mark. By a country mile, the movie’s biggest surprise ends up being Kevin Bacon as sleazeball private investigator John Labat. Whatever era of Bacon we have entered, he zestfully chews the scenery, and his onscreen chemistry with Goth is unparalleled. In minimal screen time, Lilly Collins relishes in the over-the-top nature of her actress character. Needless to say, Goth remains the runaway star—she channels Maxine’s passion and curiosity into a powerful strength.

Perhaps what makes MaXXXine so unique is how different it feels in comparison to the previous two movies, yet somehow an entirely organic evolution at the same time. West revels in the nasty underbelly of the 80s that few would approach amongst a sea of glitz and glam. The aesthetic attention he pays to the minutiae could have fallen apart in lesser hands. The deep understanding the script seems to have for its central character etches itself around a whodunnit element that only further doubles down on its full circle, cyclical nature. Whether Maxine manages to have everything she has ever wanted by the film’s end will certainly be a question worth asking. The Hollywood system corrupts no doubt, and the ultimate motive of the surprise killer reflects this idea tenfold. By the conclusion of West’s immaculate trilogy, the mantra Maxine repeats has never felt truer. We will not accept a trilogy we do not deserve. MaXXXine is everything we deserved, compacted with the vibrant excess of a gory, fucked up horror picture.

Discover the “X” factor alongside MaXXXine, now playing exclusively in theaters everywhere.