“MaXXXine” review — Score: 6/10
Mia Goth returns to finish Ti West’s horror trilogy with the release of “MaXXXine,” completing the story told by “X” and “Pearl.”
Set in the 1980s, the film follows Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) as she attempts to make the jump from adult films to horror movies to further increase her stardom. After landing the role, she must balance the demands of director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) while outrunning past traumas that come back to haunt her in the form of PI John Labat (Kevin Bacon).
The cast also includes Maxine’s friend Leon (Moses Sumney), coworker Tabby Martin (Halsey) and her agent Teddy Night (Giancarlo Esposito).
While the movie tries to follow the magic of “X” and “Pearl,” it fails to create the tension that a horror movie needs to stay exciting. Even scenes that should have felt scary or unnerving fell flat due to strange editing choices.
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The film is a clear attempt to emulate the slasher genre of the 80s. The music and lighting throughout the movie paid homage to the decade through synth-pop and neon glows.
However, the editing follows the same style, creating moments that feel silly rather than scary. In particular, one gruesome death with a knife involved constant jump cuts to a black-gloved hand slowly bringing the knife down. It broke the scene’s tension and made the entire moment seem like a bad parody of slasher films.
There were plenty of moments like that throughout the film, feeling awkward rather than comedic or scary. Others have compared “MaXXXine” to Giallo films, a style of movie that focuses on creepy killers, gorgeous women and filthy urban streets — which all fit the movie’s setting extremely well.
But style isn’t an excuse for poor horror. “X” and “Pearl” utilized unique styles while retaining the audience’s attention and fear. Those movies mixed comedy and horror well, while “MaXXXine” seems to struggle to find its ground.
The story also doesn’t feel fulfilling. Without giving too much away, the movie’s climax seems too ridiculous as an end for the series. The killer’s reveal is confusing and makes the entire plot seem pointless. It feels stylized to fit a certain movie genre, at the expense of the tension.
Of course, there are a lot of positives, mostly in the form of the acting. Once again, Goth knocks it out of the park. As Maxine, she delivers a performance that truly fits the insanity of a woman in Hollywood willing to do anything to get the fame she wants. Even in scenes with the legendary Giancarlo Esposito, Goth retains focus as the most intimidating character on screen.
Ti West’s “MaXXXine” does a good job of finishing Maxine’s story. It shows just how far one woman will go to achieve her desired fame. However, without the weight of the past movies in the trilogy, “MaXXXine” doesn’t deliver very well. It’s exciting to imagine what’s next for Mia Goth, but until then, we can watch her figuratively — and literally — crush killers under her heel.
