Writer/director Ti West and actress Mia Goth captured lightning in a bottle with the release of instant cult favorite horror film X in 2022. Following a prequel film entitled Pearl released that same year, the final entry in the trilogy has finally arrived. Picking up after the events of X, Maxxxine takes place in 1985 Hollywood as adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx (Goth) finally gets her big break in the horror sequel The Puritan 2 helmed by rising director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki). Soon however, a private detective (Kevin Bacon) representing a mysterious client confronts Maxine with evidence of what happened back in Texas and threatens to reveal her sinister past.
The X film series has been formulated as modern slashers, but the thematic through line for all of the films have been about the allure of fame with the monster that it makes of those pursue being the horrific creature that leaves blood and gore in its wake. Both Pearl and Maxine serve as mirrors of one another, young girls from small-towns with a stern, authoritative parent who envision Hollywood and the movies as a means of both escape and attention and love to replace the lack of it they received at home. The girls’ pursuit of fame and adoration becomes an obsession which they would do anything to achieve, including harming those that threaten their path toward it. It’s a treatise on our society’s celebrity obsessed culture using horror tropes as a vehicle to explore the effect it has had on the psyche of the populace. The tale of how Maxine deals with the murderous fallout of the events of X plays out amidst a backdrop of the serial killer Richard Ramirez’s mid-80s killing spree as the Night Stalker, adding a meta commentary on infamy and the role the media plays in cultivating fame often at the cost of exploiting human suffering and turning the news into spectacle that is barely separate from entertainment.
The examination is carried mostly by Goth’s performances as both women which continues here in Maxxxine. Goth portrays Maxine’s singular obsession with fame believably, honing in on the character’s singular, determined focus on making it in Hollywood. She is able to hone in on Maxine’s intensity as well as her vulnerability as a person, displaying the insecurities that lurk beneath the tough exterior she must display as an adult film star in Los Angeles’ seedy underbelly. While the thematic subtext is present and appreciated, it’s not deep enough to really elevate this film into something it’s not; this is a horror movie for horror fans. If you love the gore of a decent slasher film or are already a fan of the X series, Maxxxine will be sure to scratch that itch.
Image: A24
