THE STORY – In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. However, as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
THE CAST – Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito & Kevin Bacon
THE TEAM – Ti West (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 104 Minutes
Ti West’s trilogy of films that began with 2022’s “X” is one of the most improbable trilogies in recent memory. Horror trilogies are a time-honored tradition in Hollywood, but the “X” trilogy stands out as especially daring and formally bold. “X” remains fun enough on its own, a scuzzy Grindhouse-styled slasher set at an amateur porn shoot on a remote Texan farm in the 1970s. The film’s (not-so) secret weapon is Mia Goth’s astonishing double turn as both final girl Maxine and demented killer old lady Pearl. The sublime makeup work renders her unrecognizable as Pearl. Still, the meta-narrative of an actress in old age makeup lying next to her younger self and openly desiring her beauty deepens and becomes more meaningfully sad after watching the subsequent prequel “Pearl,” in which Goth plays the younger Pearl. We see why she became the person we saw in the previous film. Both films are presented as if from another era – the ‘70s for “X” and the ‘40s-‘50s for “Pearl” – but with content far more outré and psychologically twisted than films of the time allowed. It’s a heady mix of film geekdom and genre thrills, frivolous escapism and trenchant social commentary, and Goth delivers the performance of 2022 between the two films, with “Pearl” and its eight-minute monologue and audacious end credits shot solidifying her as one of the best, boldest actors of her generation.
Now, West and Goth are back at it with “MaXXXine,” a continuation of Maxine’s story from “X” styled as an ‘80s slasher. Six years after the events of the “Texas Porn Star Massacre,” Maxine has gone as far as she feels she can go in adult entertainment and has set her sights on becoming a legit actress. Naturally, she finds her way in through a sleazy, low-budget horror sequel directed by the ruthlessly professional Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), who sees the same X-factor that Pearl did in Maxine. Instead of trying to take it for herself, though, Elizabeth wants to shape it, and that starts with telling Maxine to squash everything in her life that could interfere with the film. Unfortunately for Maxine, that becomes difficult first when a number of her sex worker friends turn up dead, seemingly at the hands of “The Night Stalker,” an actual serial killer who terrorized the women of Los Angeles. It then becomes even more difficult when a private investigator named John Labat (Kevin Bacon) tracks her down on behalf of a mysterious, powerful employer who harbors nefarious intentions toward Maxine. With a couple of hotshot LAPD Detectives (Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan) on her tail and only her manager Teddy Night, Esq. (Giancarlo Esposito) to trust, Maxine must become even stronger than she was back in Texas in order to ensure that she will live the life that she deserves: As one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
West is painting on a much larger canvas in “MaXXXine” than in the previous films; both “X” and “Pearl” took place at a remote farm and the closest environs, while “MaXXXine” takes place in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, West’s storytelling is not as exciting here as in the previous films. While each film in the trilogy has been designed to reflect moviemaking styles as it comments on how showbusiness exploits women in different eras, “MaXXXine” commits a bit too much to recreating the genre storytelling of the period. Sometimes, this manifests in scenes that recreate the look of ‘80s videotapes, other times in spot-on fashion choices, both of which can be fun. But West has borrowed too much of the writing style of ‘80s slashers, which were not exactly known for being well-written. The dialogue can be too on-the-nose, but the cast delivers it in a highly entertaining fashion. However, things start to fall apart regarding the film’s big set pieces. A chase scene on the Universal Studios backlot that ends inside the Bates house from “Psycho” is thrilling. Still, considering the opportunities offered by the space, it underwhelms, lacking the cleverness of the previous films. While the film’s finale has a terrific setup (a house high enough up the hill with the Hollywood sign that reaching it requires a ride in a lift), given the story and themes of the previous films, the reveal of the killer’s identity is not only obvious but presented in a disappointingly straightforward way. Pearl is such a fascinating, unique character in both previous films that it would be hard to top her, but the big villain monologue feels rote, with nothing approaching the sharp character work of “Pearl” or the genuinely dangerous mania of “X.”
While this is disappointing, it just makes “MaXXXine” the least of the trilogy, not a bad film in and of itself. In fact, these complaints feel like a feature instead of a bug, an attempt to make an ‘80s slasher in the modern day without elevating it. One of the hallmarks of West’s previous films has been a love of cinema that manifests in both obvious and subtle references to the films that have inspired him. “MaXXXine” is positively punch-drunk on movie love: Outside of the big “Psycho” cameo, there’s Bacon’s PI sporting the linen suits and flop sweat of Orson Welles in “Touch of Evil” (and eventually the nose bandage worn by Jack Nicholson in “Chinatown”), shots of the killer with a video camera like they were in “Peeping Tom,” and pointed call outs to both Theda Bara (the original vamp of silent cinema) and Marilyn Chambers (often cited as the most famous porn star to cross over to mainstream fame), and that’s just for starters. As with all of West’s previous films, “MaXXXine” is immaculately crafted, perfectly capturing the look and feel of the seediest parts of the ‘80s. The neon glow of LA nightlife adds the perfect pop of color to the grisly grime of Eliot Rockett’s cinematography, and production designer Jason Kisvarday has a blast covering the whole spectrum of Hollywood, from power lunches at sleek restaurants to the dingy strip club next to LAX where Maxine works (shout out to the cookie jar full of cocaine).
However, we can’t talk about “MaXXXine” without talking about the title character herself. From her first entrance in a backlit wide shot, dressed in a form-fitting denim outfit with a mane of wavy blonde hair that she uses like a weapon, it’s clear that Maxine and Goth are in control, and the audience is just along for the ride. West doesn’t even make fans wait for Goth to let loose, giving her a juicy audition scene at the top of the film. Goth’s livewire energy brings an unpredictability to her performances, a perfect quality for Maxine. Much more than most horror heroines, Maxine is defined by her forward momentum. She may get scared, but she’s not afraid of anything, fully willing to run toward danger if she thinks she can take it. She takes no prisoners, and neither does Goth. Her performance here ties together everything she’s done in “X” and “Pearl,” showing how Maxine moves past her trauma and builds herself back up to be even more formidable than she was. That the film acknowledges Maxine’s trauma without letting it take over the whole movie further separates it from current trends in horror cinema. It also makes Goth and West’s commentary on how the entertainment industry has treated women since its inception resonates more strongly than it would otherwise by not reducing her to one thing. Maxine Minx is not a mere victim. She’s more than just a woman. She’s so much more than a porn star. Maxine Minx is a legend for being all those things and more. The film’s cheeky ending, while it lacks the twisted, sick kick of “X” and “Pearl,” brings the trilogy to a satisfying close on the level of both plot and theme (much more than most slasher movies accomplish) and Goth’s take-no-prisoners performance is a big reason why. She has the ability of a true movie star to change the gravity in any room she walks into, refocusing everything to center on her. Watching her take center stage in this trilogy and grow from a promising up-and-comer to one of the all-time greats has been a thrill all on its own, but watching her take Maxine to ever greater highs of self-possessed ferocity is the kind of thing movies were made for. “MaXXXine” may not be perfect, but like its namesake, it still has something special.
