Ti West is becoming one of my favorite directors. I liked but did not love “X,” but admit it had me hooked. “Pearl,” a prequel to “X,” is one of my favorite movies of all time. So understandably, I’ve been waiting with great anticipation for the third film in the trilogy, “MaXXXine,” which just premiered on Max.
This time around, we see what happens next for Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), who survived Pearl’s rampage in “X.” Pearl serves as a literal and figurative foil to Maxine, who was also taken advantage of by a patriarchal system but aspired to be a star. However, as we learned in “Pearl,” she had her dreams crushed and her hope destroyed, whereas Maxine still has a chance to go farther than Pearl ever could.
Indeed, “Pearl” greatly enhances this film, particularly by highlighting just how precarious the ledge Maxine is on truly is. Maxine is a porn actress who is trying to break into mainstream films, which her agent, Teddy Knight (Giancarlo Esposito), is hellbent on her achieving. In fact, she seems to have an innate ability to draw people to her side, with the director (Elizabeth Debicki) of the fictional horror film “Puritan II” ready to risk her career in order to give Maxine her big break via it.
But “MaXXXine” is still a horror film, so we need a killer. That comes in the form of a serial murderer that slowly picks off Maxine’s friends and coworkers one by one. But she is not helpless; since “X,” she’s gotten herself a gun and seemed to have inherited Pearl’s propensity for violence and is more than capable of handling herself.
That’s what makes Maxine so interesting as a character; in a genre where the characters who clash against societal norms (i.e. like doing drugs or having premarital sex) are the subject of gory kills, she not only survives, but manages to be a threat in her own right. It makes her unpredictable but also one of the most memorable female action stars in recent years.
And West knows exactly when to blend action with horror. He keeps his murderer under wraps for most of the film, but still manages to make his kills suspenseful and horrible, borrowing from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Pyscho” and the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series. But he also makes Maxine a capable and quick-witted lead who is not afraid to do what it takes to survive.
I also found its take on the ruthlessness of stardom and what it takes to stay on top refreshing. I also like how West, who also wrote the film, manages to smuggle in believable — sometimes fatal — character flaws that pay off beautifully. For example, Kevin Bacon’s character, a private investigator hired to manipulate Maxine, is both helped and hampered by his pride, as while it allows him to go farther than other PIs are willing to go, which usually works against targets not as capable as Maxine, he is wholly unprepared to confront anyone that outmatches him.
Is the killer’s reveal worth it? I won’t spoil it, but I thought it was a slight letdown, though West does build off of it to give Maxine — and this trilogy with Goth — a well-earned and satisfying conclusion with some nuance.
Maxine is not a good person; she’s just willing to do whatever it takes to be a star. And that means crushing anyone who gets in her way.
This trilogy, powered by the immense talents of Goth and West’s sharp vision, has transcended its simple horror roots in “X.” All three films tell a compelling and unforgettable story about fame and the lengths people will go to in order to obtain it, including the wrath they are willing to incur and the carnage they create.
“MaXXXine” gets a 9/10
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