Ti West’s X slasher franchise proved itself to be one of the most intelligent and interesting executions of the genre right out the gate. Whereas most such films’ stories can be summed up as “mysterious murderer stalks and kills victims before being unmasked and killed themselves in the end”, this series has largely eschewed that set-up in favor of something that can feel structurally similar but thematically and tonally unique. That is until this third installment, which in paying tribute to the Italian giallo films of the 70s and 80s does feature an unknown killer who is only seen as a pair of black-gloved hands until the end.
Having survived the events of first movie X, Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) has made her way to Los Angeles and found success in the adult film industry. She is convinced however that she deserves more and so is elated when she finds out that she has been cast as the lead in controversial horror sequel The Puritan II. But as it looks like she has finally gotten her big break, her friends and coworkers begin to be killed in brutal fashion. Then she is contacted by a shady private detective named John Labat (Kevin Bacon), who tells her that his client knows about the suspicious events in her past and will expose them if she doesn’t meet with him.
Her director, Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), notices that something is distracting Maxine, and tells her that she needs to get it resolved by any means before filming begins, and so Maxine reaches out to her agent / attorney, Teddy Knight, Esq. (Giancarlo Esposito). Teddy tells her not to worry and that he will handle everything, as a pair of LAPD detectives (Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Canavale), start following her to determine what she knows about the deaths of her associates.
There are a lot of moving parts here, and at times it can feel like writer / director Ti West has bitten off more than he can chew. MaXXXine is simultaneously a gritty mystery, a highly stylized Argento / Bava / Fulci pastiche, a commentary on the lengths people will go to for fame, and an 80s period piece about the hysteria surrounding the serial killer known as the Night Stalker and the era’s nonsense-induced “Satanic Panic,” with a sprinkling of showbiz satire thrown in for good measure. Predecessors X and Pearl weren’t perfect either, but they told far more focused stories and were better for it.
That isn’t to say that MaXXXine is a bad movie, far from it. Everything looks amazing, with excellent use of lighting and smart framing by cinematographer Eliot Rockett. Tyler Bates’ score features heavy homages to the music of seedy film noir and Goblin’s music for Dario Argento, which perfectly sets the tone West is aiming for at any given moment. Mia Goth’s performance continues to anchor the series, regardless of which role she’s playing, though there isn’t a weak link in the bunch, and Esposito and Bacon are clearly enjoying themselves playing somewhat more outlandish characters.
As was often the case with the giallo stories that inspired it, this film’s central mystery is best not pondered over too much, and once the killer is revealed the movie and in turn the franchise sort of jumps the shark, but it’s still entertaining enough not to matter that much. MaXXXine isn’t especially scary, nor does it seem interested in trying to be, but it is a gleefully violent bit of fun that also has something to say. Prequel Pearl remains the best in the series, but this one shouldn’t do anything to put audiences off of seeing the inevitable part 4. ★★★
rated r for strong violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, language, and drug use.
★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor
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