When a well-received movie turns into a franchise, there’s a pretty good chance everything after the original is just going to be a slight variation on it. This is especially true for horror, where one basic idea can be milked for decades. That makes what Ti West has done over the last few years quite impressive, helped by the fact that A24 green-lit his idea before anything was released. The series started in March of 2022 with the 70s set X, a sort of ode to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, about a porn film shoot gone very wrong. West followed that up in September of the same year with Pearl, set some 60 years prior to X, that serves as a disturbing origin story for the villain. Now comes Maxxxine, a direct sequel to X, set in 1985 and following the journey of that story’s survivor.
All three share themes and, combined, tell an intriguingly ambitious story about how the cinema can shape us. They are surprisingly different in terms of tone and style, not only showing the scope of Ti West’s vision, but also the talent and commitment of Mia Goth, who stars in them all. Maxxxine is the most fascinating thematically, even if it ends up being kind of messy. Approximately 2/3 of this is really good; the other 1/3 seems like an overreach, pushing this closer to traditional horror, when the psychological kind is far more effective here. It doesn’t kill the movie, yet it does wound it.
Several years following the massacre at the farmhouse, Maxine Minx has made it as a porn star and is ready to take her (self-proclaimed) rightful place as a legitimate movie star. While on the cusp of her big break in a mainstream horror movie, she is confronted by her past amid the deadly specter of a serial killer stalking the streets of Hollywood.
Maxxxine (95 minutes, without the end credits) is most compelling when it focuses on the title character’s obsession with fame and her willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve it. Maxine has tunnel vision, disregarding anything not on her path to stardom. When her past returns for her in the guise of a slimy private eye (played by an annoying Kevin Bacon), she is worried about her career much more than her personal safety. Her ambition could lead her forward, or it could imprison her, like it did Pearl.
I wish West had stayed entirely on Maxine’s drive, where it comes from and where it could take her. The stuff with the serial killer, the PI and the homicide detectives on the case don’t add much to the protagonist’s journey. She treats them as a distraction on her way to the top and that’s how they come off to the viewer, too. The slashings aren’t exciting and the reveal isn’t surprising or thrilling. It works from a character perspective, though it comes too late to truly help Maxine’s arc.
From the introduction of her in X, Maxine Minx has only cared about becoming famous. Every act of self-preservation is to keep that dream alive. Mia Goth has crafted a woman who is neither mean nor cruel towards others as she eyes the top; she climbs over them with barely a thought. Her intensity when in the vicinity of someone (or something) that could give her the boost she needs is so strong, wavering slightly when her mind drifts to what she went through to get to that moment. If there isn’t a ton of depth to the character, well, there can’t be. Only one thing is actually important to her. Goth has been very good at portraying that throughout the trilogy. This should definitely lead to bigger things for her, not just inside the genre.
These have also allowed Ti West to show his talents as a writer/director/editor. In this series alone, he’s basically made a 70s grindhouse thriller, a dark satire of 50s melodramas and a glitzy 80s dark-side-of-fame slasher. Not only did he give each a unique look/feel, he kept them believably connected during this evolution. Maxxxine’s biggest issue is that he tried too hard to fit it into the slasher mold (something he did not do with Pearl). Much like his heroine, West’s ambition is on full display. None of the three may reach greatness on their own, however, this is a fantastic total package.
3½ out of 5
Cast:
Mia Goth as Maxine Minx
Elizabeth Debicki as Elizabeth Bender
Kevin Bacon as John Labat
Giancarlo Esposito as Teddy Night, Esq.
Michelle Monaghan as Detective Williams
Bobby Cannavale as Detective Torres
Written/Directed by Ti West
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