Written And Directed by Ti West
Maxine: "Now, say it with me... I will not accept a life I do not deserve!"
Concluding a trilogy ain't an easy feat and for one where every movie could stand alone as it's own thing, maybe it should've been easier. There's no denying that both X and Pearl were slam dunks. Can MaXXXine boast the same?
For me, I rather think it does. Perhaps my bias for this time period is showing but an 1980s slasher movie was definitely going to be up my alley. Also the change in location and this was definitely a different flavour of a movie to cap off this trilogy.
Six years has passed since Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) survived the antics of her encounter with Pearl Douglas (Mia Goth) and she's found herself in LA, trying to get her big acting break. After getting rejected for a music video, her agent Teddy Knight (Giancarlo Esposito) has gotten her the part in a horror sequel, titled The Puritan II.
To be fair, in spite of the obstacles of her work in the adult entertainment industry, Maxine managed to impress both casting directors and the movie's director, Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki). The latter in particular sensing something in Maxine that could be molded into a future star but what should be a great time for the budding starlet did come with it's own set backs.
For instance, the backdrop of the Night Stalker saw various friends of Maxine such as Tabby (Halsey) and Leon (Moses Sumney) getting brutally killed as well as Maxine's co-star, Molly Bennett (Lily Collins). However it's not the Night Stalker responsible for these killings but needless to say, they're connected to Maxine.
When Maxine didn't have local detectives such as Williams (Michelle Monaghan) and Torres (Bobby Cannavale) on her back, she also had rogue private investigator John Labat (Kevin Bacon) terrorising her at every opportunity. However it didn't end well for him when Maxine called in some favours.
As for the actual killers, it's a religious cult led by Maxine's fanatical father, Ernest Miller (Simon Prast) with a personal vendetta towards the corruption of Hollywood. Motive wise, it makes sense, was set up as far as X and thematically works for Maxine and her overall trajectory as a character. Personally I found it very satisfying though Maxine can sustain her new found success make for an interesting fourth movie.
- Sophie Thatcher from Yellowjackets had a nice but small role as an FX artist that helped make a mold of Maxine's head for the movie.
- I'm glad we got a gay character in this movie with Leon, who owned a video store. Too bad he got killed halfway through the movie but he was a good friend to Maxine.
- Like every bloke who watched this movie, that scene where Maxine dealt with a would be attacker, I did squirm. Saying that, he did have it coming.
- Nice use of the house from the film, Psycho. Yes, it was a set piece.
- Standout music: Animotion's Obsession, Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Welcome To The Pleasuredome and Kim Carnes Bette Davies Eyes.
- Chronology: This film takes place in 1985 Los Angeles. There's also a flashback to 1959 with a young Maxine quoting her father's catchphrase.
As a trilogy ender, I think MaXXXine does a great job with bringing things to a conclusion. On a thematic level, it worked for me with Mia Goth doing an excellent job throughout. I will admit that some of the supporting cast could've been a bit more utilised but overall, I think this movie will gain a following overtime.
Rating: 8 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment