MaXXXine (2024)

★★1/2

MaXXXine is honestly a bit of a let down. The conclusion to Ti West’s X trilogy is easily the weakest instalment; it’s all style and no substance. West is trying so hard to emulate the numerous Hollywood-set exploitation films of the 70s and 80s that he forgot to give the film a compelling story. MaXXXine is stuffed with genre nods and well-crafted retro aesthetics, (and a great 80s soundtrack) but it doesn't deliver interesting thrills or twists. Worst of all, there is nothing to the character of Maxine this time around. And honestly, not many slasher elements either. The themes from X and Pearl do carry over nicely and are expanded upon, but other than that the film left me feeling a little bored. Maybe that’s just me. Overall this trilogy and the way it came about is fascinating, but ultimately it will end up being more forgettable than anything. Mia Goth wasn’t even that great this time around after fantastic performances in X and Pearl.  I just expected better after those, especially with an expanded budget and cast. But hey, seeing the Psycho house on screen again was pretty cool!

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Film Info:

Premise: 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.

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A24

Written & Directed by Ti West

Cast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon

Runtime: 1hr 44min

Rating: 18A

Crime, Horror

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IMDb Rating: 6.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

RT Audience Score: 78%

RT Critic Average: 6.5/10

RT Audience Average: 4.0/5

Metacritic Score: 64

CinemaScore: B

Letterboxd: 3.2/5

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Fun Fact: In a 2024 interview with BFI, Ti West spoke about shooting at the Psycho (1960) house: "In X (2022), they had a little conversation about Psycho. Psycho loomed over that movie. You could call it a slasher movie but also one of the great horror movies of all time. When I was making this movie, I was like, 'Well, if she's going to be on a movie backlot, where could they go?' I knew it was there, and I wrote it into the script. I didn't think about getting permission or anything like that. Then it was a bit of a panic because, 'What if they say no? I don't have a backup.' But the Alfred Hitchcock estate said yes. It was very surreal to go there and film it and not be making Psycho. That was part of the charm of the movie and of the trilogy as a whole: to embrace the artifice of Hollywood."

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Trailer: