by Diana Gebbia, Contributing Writer
Fans have waited two long years for MaXXXine – the third film in Ti West’s X Trilogy, consisting of X, and Pearl. MaXXXine takes place in 1985, six years after a deranged elderly couple murdered Maxine Minx’s (Mia Goth) friends and adult film costars. After killing one of the murderers, she picks up and heads to Los Angeles to pursue her acting dreams.
Maxine hopes to end her career in the adult film industry, land a role in The Puritan II, and finally become a star. But her climb to the top isn’t an easy one. She encounters some shady characters who won’t let her forget about the Texas massacre or her role in it. To top it all off, Los Angeles is under attack by the based-in-reality serial killer, the Night Stalker. Can she escape her past, stay out of trouble, and keep her eye on the prize of stardom?
MaXXXine is an entertaining movie and a solid ode to Giallo horror. There are plenty of fun horror moments, ‘80s pop culture references, and cheeky callbacks to X and Pearl. However, it lacks the charm of its predecessors. The star-studded cast, killer soundtrack, and vibrant Los Angeles setting doesn’t outshine the strong plot, compelling dialogue, and character depth of the first two movies.
In X and Pearl, we knew the characters motives, backgrounds, relationships, and feelings. We were rooting for them or against them. When something happened to them, it affected audiences. Character development is MaXXXine’s weakest point. It seems as though there was more focus on hiring big names, such as Halsey and Lily Collins, than allowing audiences to get attached to them.
It also would’ve served the film to either do more with the Night Stalker, or leave that part out of the plot completely. It ultimately does little to advance the storyline.
As usual, Goth delivers in her role of Maxine. She’s the perfect Scream Queen – fiery, badass, and strong, but still vulnerable in some moments. Kevin Bacon also stands out as the sleazy Detective John Labat. Lily Collins is impressive as the star of The Puritan, Molly Bennett, but as mentioned before, her character is undeservedly underdeveloped.
Although MaXXXine was a disappointing end to the X trilogy, it’s worth a watch for fans of the first two movies to gain closure. It wouldn’t be wise to go into this movie without having seen X or Pearl. Audiences would be lost without the context of those films, particularly the first one.
Rating: Liked It
MaXXXine is currently playing in theaters
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