MAXXXINE

MaXXXine is a blast from the past as Ti West delivers an enticing neo-noir slasher set in 1985 Hollywood that embraces the darkness of Los Angeles with nods to the studio system of Hollywood led by a stunning performance from Mia Goth, even if the story does not fully stick the landing nor live up to the standard set by X and Pearl.

I still remember the electrifying reaction at Pearl’s Toronto International Film Festival premiere back in 2022 after witnessing Mia Goth’s electrifying performance and the surprise announcement of MaXXXine. The fact that Ti West and Goth were taking their X series to 1985s Hollywood was a horror fan’s dream come true, as the seedy side of Hollywood and Los Angeles was the perfect setting for the latest entry in this slasher franchise. And from an aesthetic point of view, MaXXXine does not disappoint. It’s a neo-noir slasher flick that embraces the darkness of Hollywood and Los Angeles with an undeniable style that makes it easy to get lost in the film. West has assembled his biggest cast to date for the series, and the performances across the board are great, though the film’s story is sadly the weakest of the series that prevents it from being the outstanding final film that fans had been hoping for.

What has made West’s X trilogy stand out amongst other horror franchises is the distinct style of each film. The first film was a Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired slasher, the second a technicolor nightmare that was reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz in its design, and the last film is a neo-noir slasher flick that echoes the Scream franchise. The production design is to die for, recreating the seedy strips of Los Angeles, the nightclubs and adult video stores that comprise of Maxine’s world as a porn star, and the studio backlot where The Puritan II is shooting that captures the facade of movie magic, even going as far as to recreate the Bates Motel and Bates’ house from Psycho. Combined with a grainy film look that makes it feel like at times you are watching an 80s horror movie on video cassette, and darker lit film that evokes the danger of Los Angeles by night, West’s aesthetic design for MaXXXine is on point!

Say it with me, Mia Goth is a star! Much like her to characters Maxine and Pearl who both wanted nothing more than to be a star, Goth's performance in MaXXXine solidifies her horror superstar status. Effortlessly stunning, captivating and brutally committed to achieving fame no matter the cost, Goth dazzles in every scene. From the opening audition and watching Goth as Maxine loses herself in that scene, the brutality as she fights to protect herself, or the fear she brings in the final act, there is nothing Goth cannot do in the role. There is no taking away from her luminous star power, but the supporting cast. Kevin Bacon oozes a sleaziness as John Labat and he stands out in all of his scenes, Elizabeth Debicki is a powerhouse as the director and writer of The Puritan II Elizabeth Bender with a dead set and ruthless mindset to make the best film she can no matter the cost, while Michelle Monaghan is riveting as Detective Williams, one of the detectives tracking down the Night Stalker. Lily Collins is wonderful as Molly Williams, Maxine’s co-star despite a very limited role, and Giancarlo Esposito and Bobby Cannavale never miss a beat as Teddy Knight, Esq. and Detective Torres. There is no question, MaXXXine has the best ensemble cast of any horror film to date this year.

Over the first two acts of the film, West spins an intriguing web of terror in MaXXXine. From that riveting audition scene that opens the film to the grizzly and bloody murders that occur over the first two acts, it’s a distinct film that does not retread the same ground of the first two films in the series. There is a darkness permeating the entire film with the killings of the Night Stalker and their obsession with Maxine, while the Hollywood angle with Maxine’s film shoot is more than enough to tickle the fancy of any cinephile with its many references and nods to the Hollywood studio system in the 1980s. In doing so, the film chugs along in the first two acts, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat as Maxine inches closer and closer to learning the Night Stalker’s identity. And then the screenplay sadly stumbles in the third act. The reveal is slightly underwhelming and predictable, and while where West takes the story after the reveal creates a bloodbath of a final act that will tickle any horror fan’s delight, it is less shocking that one could hope and feels like a let down after the madness West unleashed in both X and Pearl. It’s not a bad story by any means, but given the high standard set by the first two films, MaXXXine just does not quite measure up.

There is no doubt that 80s horror fans are going to eat up every second of Ti West’s concluding chapter of the X trilogy as it has everything that fans love about the genre: an inherent darkness, gruesomely brutal murders, and an unknown killer intent on making our final girl’s life a living nightmare. Mia Goth runs away with the entire film thanks to her spectacular performance that gives new meaning to her character’s infamous line “I will not accept a life I do not deserve”, even if it is not the absolutely bonkers finale some fans had hoped for. Ti West and Mia Goth give Maxine Minx one last entertaining outing that features an excellent cast led by the luminous Goth who is a star if I have ever seen one, and even though MaXXXine’s story slightly stumbles in the third act, the killer production design and aesthetic of the film still make for a fun summer horror flick.