MaXXXine (2024) DIr. Ti West

Following off the back of surprise horror hit X (review) and its even more surprising prequel follow up Pearl (review), director Ti West finished his trilogy with an 80s-inspired slasher flick with Mia Goth returning as Maxine Minx.

After surviving the farmhouse slaughter in X, we catch up with Maxine as a struggling starlet in the adult movie business who wants to break through to mainstream films. With the secret of her past and seedy lifestyle, she doesn’t seem the obvious choice but a fantastic audition sees her gain a part in Puritan II, an upcoming horror.

Elizabeth Debicki stars as the film’s director Elizabeth Bender, who advises Maxine that this is her big shot and she shouldn’t waste it. However, Maxine is dealing with bigger problems as a mysterious stranger appears to be stalking/blackmailing her with incriminating VHS footage of the farmhouse film in X, proving she was involved in the unsolved crime.

A great Kevin Bacon as a sleazy private investigator shows up on the scene as a representative of the blackmailer, and all this ties together in a cat and mouse chase of murders and exploitation set amongst the obsessive movie-making machine.

MaXXXine’s best attribute is its sense of time. Capturing a skeezy and sordid 80s rather than day-glo positivity, the grime of Hollywood is physically visible in every frame with the streets as unclean as those participating in the motion picture industry. The Walk of Fame has never been so filthy.

Intersecting with this is the film’s nods to horror (and Hollywood in general) history. Easter eggs come quick and fast, from the obvious - a fantastic chase sequence on the Psycho set and the meta satire of Scream - to more obscure nods to Kevin Bacon’s Jake Gittes suit as seen in Chinatown. And the film neatly ties iconography from both X and Pearl too.

The acting and actors are fantastic. Goth is obviously the star throughout, being almost in every scene and stretching her acting chops once more, whilst also developing the character's persona even further. And Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Halsey and Lily Collins all provide more than satisfying support turns.

Sadly, Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale as detectives investigating all the strange threads are really rather wasted and are involved in my biggest personal flaw which is the flat final act.

As the tale comes to its conclusion, the final scenes are strangely lacklustre and a huge anti-climax. Something about it feels off and doesn’t stand up to the quality - both in the technical elements and character behaviour - the earlier parts of the film explore and establish so well.

And although a well-thought out coda links all three films, that last lacklustre sequence in the Hollywood hills just doesn’t work, being wholly disappointing, whilst a few people get a bum deal in their arc too.

That said, there’s far more to like than to dislike. Goth and West have created one of the most interesting trilogies - and not just horror - in recent years. Whilst franchise fodder and asinine reboots fill film company slates, this low-key, well thought-out and hugely entertaining set of films cram more ideas and cinematic touches than a whole Summer of boring blockbusters. And even though MaXXXine doesn’t quite hit the heights of the previous 2 films, it’s still a thrilling and entertaining watch as it digs deep into the nightmares and terror of Tinseltown.

Special Features Review:

Like Pearl, Second Sight have added another set of smashing extras for this new release. Behind the scenes and audio commentaries sit alongside a crystal clear image - although with added 80s grain - from the 4k transfer. Interviews and a Q&A with Ti West himself explores the full gamult of MaXXXine's creation whilst snippets with the producer, cinematographer and production designer provide fascinating insights into specific aspects of the filmmaking process. And for those getting the full Special Edition, there's a 120-page book, collectors' art cards and new film artwork as well!

★★★½

3.5 / 5

Michael Sales

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Aim Publicity presents MaXXXine Limited Edition 4K UHD Box Set is set to arrive on 17th November alongside a Standard Edition, both from  Second Sight Films