MaXXXine

I was super excited to watch this movie after seeing the trailer. Ti West's X was a brilliant love letter to 70s grindhouse flicks, such as TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE or LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, and PEARL was an even better film that was a throwback to old-style horror films such as STRAIT-JACKET or WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? This third film in the X trilogy looked like it was going to be a love letter to the lurid thrillers of the 80s such as VICE SQUAD or ANGEL. While I was entertained by MAXXXINE, it did not live up to my expectations or its predecessors. Following the events of X, where Maxine was the lone survivor of what's known as "The Texas Porno Massacre" she now finds herself in Hollywood trying to make the jump from * to legitimate films, like Marilyn Chambers or Traci Lords. She lands a role in a horror film but finds herself caught up in the Night Stalker killings when two of her friends are knocked off. Sex workers, serial killers, and a 1980s Hollywood Boulevard is a great setup, but the film never seems to move beyond nostalgically copying 80s tropes, which were admittedly fun, such as a car compactor death scene, a clear-plastic-bag over-the-head to suffocate someone, full-body flame stunts, etc. I was hoping for something rougher that would make me squirm, like SAVAGE STREETS, or maybe something equally as lurid as BODY DOUBLE, but the film never goes there and plays it pretty safe outside of two gory moments, but even those are fleeting moments are fast shock value versus scenes to make the audience uncomfortable, which was the skeezy charm of many of these types of disreputable 80s thrillers. Still, MAXXXINE is never boring and moves at a brisk pace. Mia Goth is again fantastic as a driven Maxine, who will do anything to be a star. There's also a terrific supporting cast that features Kevin Bacon as a shady private detective (he's the other standout besides Goth), Giancarlo Esposito as Maxine's agent, Halsey as a sex worker buddy, Lily Collins fellow horror actress, and Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale as a couple LAPD detectives investigating the Night Stalker killings. Director West brings an incredible amount of visual style to the film and Tyler Bates provides a moody score. There are also clever bookends to the film if you catch them at the start and end of the film. However, while the prior films in the X series felt like original takes on familiar tropes, MAXXXINE feels more like 80s movie thriller karaoke. (SPOILER ALERT WARNING!) The moment Maxine's director tells her "Whatever it is that's bothering you in your life, take care of it this weekend so you're ready on Monday." That was the moment I was hoping to see Goth go full Charles Bronson DEATH WISH on her enemies, which she does to a degree (there's a great exploding head), but instead, we see Maxine facing off with a cult (yes, Satanic Panic, another 80s trope) which had no lead in and comes out of nowhere. Maybe it would have worked if they established the cult at the start of the film, like in COBRA, but it's one 80s movie trope too many thrown in at the last moment. Maxine facing off against a lone depraved killer ALA 10 TO MIDNIGHT or NEW YORK RIPPER would have worked much better. (END SPOILERS) Overall, MAXXXINE is well crafted and visually arresting, and Goth and Bacon are worth the price of admission, but it's definitely no BODY DOUBLE or VICE SQUAD. Ti West is an incredibly talented filmmaker I'd love to see him do something original instead of continuing to do nostalgia pieces, though I also have to admit I would be excited to see a fourth X film where Maxine finds herself in a 90s erotic thriller, like BASIC INSTINCT, MALICE, SHATTERED, or COLOR OF NIGHT.