MaXXXine

With MaXXXine, we're now at the end(?) of the experimental trilogy from Ti West. Given all the high praise I'd heard about these films, in my effort to catch up with them before this release, I can't help but feel a tad disappointed. Admittedly, my expectations may have been out of line. 

Going into MaXXXine, I was able to have a more tempered understanding of the degree of quality I could get from these, and instead learned to focus on the two biggest selling points of each:

Mia Goth

And the Style.

The initial film, X, remains the weakest of the bunch and even looking back at a review from a few months ago I feel I may have overrated it a tad. Pearl, remains the highlight of this trilogy, meaning that MaXXXine sits squarely in the middle. None of them set my world on fire like some of my favorite horror films have done (also hoping Longlegs does this next week), but I appreciate how ingenious this adventure has been. 

With MaXXXine, we're set in 1985, which is a fantastic stopping point for a series that likes to replicate the style of the time period. Ti West has more fun here than either of the previous 2 films with some grainy camerawork, editing that is immediately nostalgic - a particular chase scene really made this apparent to me - and damn! What a fun and energetic soundtrack. As a horror film, some of the older tropes of that decade are present and the style was a fun component that was consistent throughout. To give credit where credit is due, the "cool" part about this trilogy has been how transporting the movies can be stylistically. 

Our story follows Maxine Miller/Minx after the events of X. She's in the adult film industry, as was apparent in that film, and trying to make a name for herself in mainstream films. The horror industry is where the starlets-to-be are going so she auditions for a role and crushes it, winning over the female director (Elizabeth Debicki doing a subtly fantastic job). During the beginning of filming, her past is coming back to haunt her in ways that threaten her career. Our cast in MaXXXine is more stacked than it has been in either of the previous two films with Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan, and Bobby Cannavale, among others. Mia Goth continues to remain the star vehicle, and much like the titular character, she's cementing herself as THE face of abstract horror/horror in the modern age. Her work in MaXXXine is memorable and even when she's in films I don't think much of, it's never because of her.

My main issue with MaXXXine really comes down to its contained story and it's connected story. The contained story about the Night Stalker starts mysteriously and with lots of captivating "What if?" around it. Unfortunately, it ends in a bit of a whimper in exchange for a big finale that is meant to connect the trilogy. This finale is disappointing, as is the "big" reveal, mainly because we've been given very little reason to care about the "who" it turns out to be. Either way, that's a short portion of a larger story and film so it doesn't threaten to ruin the entire thing. 

I applaud A24 - as is often the case - for providing Ti West this opportunity to try something exciting and new. A "stealth" trilogy with a core star and connections across eras with styles representative of the said eras is a very cool concept that is executed well throughout. I just wish the story itself (overall and in this film) had risen to the occasion too.

 Rapid Rath's Review Score | 7/10