My Review of MaXXXine (2024)

 

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 

My Review of Pearl (2022)

 

Written by Ti West And Mia Goth

Directed by Ti West

Pearl: "It's not about what I want, Mitzy. It's about making the best of what I have."

Following the chaos of X, instead of jumping straight into what Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), the movie went back sixty one years to show how Pearl (Mia Goth) became the way she did. Needless to say, it's not pretty.

The first World War served as something of a backdrop as did an influenza pandemic. Our antagonistic protagonist was a married girl with her sweetheart Howard (Alistair Sewell) off fighting in the war. Pearl was at home with her sick father (Matthew Sutherland) and domineering mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright) and a lot of resentment festered.

Pearl had aspirations to be a star. Aspirations that Ruth openly criticised when she wasn't being an out and out bitch to Pearl throughout the whole movie. While Ruth would be proven right about Pearl's psychopathy, her own venomous animosity towards her daughter certainly didn't help matters. 

For the most Ruth projected too much of her own resentment and shattered dreams (she clearly hated being trapped on the farm as much as Pearl did) onto her daughter that Pearl snapping was inevitable. Ruth pushed Pearl too far and lost her life because of it. Sadly so did Pearl's father and he was genuinely innocent in the whole mess.

However making herself an orphan wasn't enough for Pearl. During the movie she managed to strike up a romance with The Projectionist (David Corenswet) but when he rejected her, she resorted to murder. Doing that, Pearl proved that she couldn't suppress her true nature as her hopes for stardom were fading fast.

Then there was the chorus audition that could've changed everything. Pearl's hatred for blondes came about because of unsympathetic judges not liking her for being plain and poor Mitzy (Emma Jenkins-Purro) also paid the price for Pearl's rage too. The same Mitzy who was Pearl's sister in law and was actually nice to her throughout the whole movie.

Then there was the last minutes of the movie where Pearl had to resign her to the fact that she was never going to be a star. She tried to make the best of it by throwing a "nice" dinner for a returning Howard. She might not be a star but at least she can put on a smile.

- I was surprised to find out that Mia Goth co-wrote the movie with Ti West. I wouldn't be surprised if she does more of this going forward.

- The end credit with the very pained smile plastered on Pearl's face was pretty horrifying in its own way.

- Why didn't Pearl get rid of that maggot filled roast pig? That was disgusting to look at.

- The stag movie The Projectionist showed Pearl was A Free Ride. Yes, it really is an actual movie.

- Standout music: Arthur Fields Oui Oui Marie.

- Chronology: 1918 rural Texas. Pearl's family were German immigrants.

I really enjoyed X as a first outing to this trilogy but Pearl clearly was the better outing. It's delightfully twisted, whimsical and tragic with a superb led performance from Mia Goth. One of the best horror films of the 2020s and here's hoping Maxxxine will close this trilogy on a satisfying note.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of X (2022)

 

Written And Directed by Ti West

Pearl: "You don't think I know who you really are? I saw what you did in the barn. You're a deviant little whore. We're the same. You'll end up just like me."

Maxine: "I'm nothin' like you."

One of the most talked about horror movies in the 2020s, I had to see what the fuss was about. The first in a trilogy that also comprised of a prequel and a sequel. X certainly got off to a chaotic start.

Set in 1979, we've got a film crew making a pornographic movie in a relatively abandoned farm in Texas. There's also an elderly couple running the farm. You can sort of predict where this film will go, but there's a surprise or two in the mix.

The crew themselves comprise of director RJ (Owen Campbell) and his assistant girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), nicknamed Churchmouse as well as producer Wayne (Martin Henderson) as well as adult actors Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), Bobby-Lynne Parker (Brittany Snow) and Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi). They're a reasonable bunch of characters but only one of them was the true star of the movie.

That being the theme of this movie - being a star and having a certain X Factor. Maxine believed that she was destined for greatness and that everyone would know her name. She also didn't realise that there was a stigma with adult movies and yes, the murderous couple on the farm.

The couple being Pearl (Mia Goth) and Howard (Stephen Ure), who not only disapproved of their farm being used as the set of an adult movie, but took things into their own hands by murdering nearly all of the crew. Of course, the star herself Maxine survived the ordeal.

What made this film interesting was seeing Mia Goth playing off herself as both Maxine and Pearl. Pearl had the same dreams as Maxine and has been resentful ever since and Maxine had no problem resorting to murder herself in order to ensure that her own dreams wouldn't end before they truly began. 

- The movie and ended with the aftermath of the main events with the Sheriff (James Gaylyn) pointing out that the events looked like a horror movie. Maxine's preacher father (Simon Prast) also appeared on television.

- Pearl made a point of hating blondes given her treatment of Bobby-Lynne as the latter was trying to be nice to her.

- No opening credits and the title doesn't appear until the end of the movie. 

- The other movies in this trilogy include prequel Pearl and upcoming sequel, Maxxxine. 

- Standout music: Bobby-Lynne and Jackson's version of Landslide, Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper and Moon Martin's Bad Case Of Lovin' You.

- Chronology: 1979 in rural Texas.

X got things off to a good but chaotic start for a trilogy. There's commentaries on ageing, beauty, sexuality and being a star with both Maxine and Pearl being on the opposite sides of this. There's nice homages to certain movies as well as well as various genres.

Rating: 8 out of 10