Sexy, stylish, and thoughtless.
Visually, MaXXXine is everything you want it to be. Packed with 80s nostalgia, the glitz of Hollywood, and shot with a LUT in-camera that made the film look like it was actually made in 1985. Yet despite all of that, it was a disappointing end to an otherwise promising trilogy.
Released on July 5th, MaXXXine is Ti West’s final instalment of the X trilogy and follows Maxine Minx as she finally gets her wish—to become a star.
Having been obsessed with this trilogy the moment X was released in 2022, I was excited to see where Maxine’s life would take her. Set six years after the events of X, we are reunited with Maxine as she lands a big role in a Hollywood movie.
The film opens up with a montage sequence that perfectly plants us in the right era and sets the tone of the film. We see news clippings of the oh-so dangers of Dungeons and Dragons, broadcasts of the latest victims from a serial killer unknown and religious groups protesting against porn and rock n’ roll outside the movie production studio where Maxine is auditioning at. We are placed directly in the middle of the 1980s satanic panic.
Gone are the days of ankle-length skirts and quiet women, Maxine presents herself as someone fully confident in her body and her talent as an actress. Having moved to LA, Maxine has become a popular VHS porn star and is the definition of sinful to the protesters outside.
Especially now since she has just landed the lead role in the horror movie, The Puritan II.
In the previous two films, director Ti West would often pay homage to cult classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) in X and The Wizard of Oz (1939) in Pearl. For this film, West takes a more direct approach with the fictional film, The Puritan II, drawing inspiration from Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), and The Omen (1976). Horror films that were argued at the time as the main movies that “corrupted” children’s minds in the 80s as they all carry themes of satanism and the occult. Strangely enough, children being possessed by Satan was a very popular storyline in the 1980s.
This casting is a clever meta-commentary on Maxine’s own narrative arc as she is stalked by a supposed satanic serial killer. However, as the plot unfolds, the film’s initial promise of depth gives way to a series of predictable and underwhelming developments.
Maxine’s character lacks the depth and complexity needed to carry the film. Not to say that it was Mia Goth’s acting that was lacking, the fault solely lies with the writing. Her newfound steely disposition and simmering anger make her a figure of intrigue, but these traits are inconsistently developed. In some scenes, her silence and stoicism add to her mystique; in others, they create awkward moments, such as her one-sided interaction with Halsey’s character, Tabby, where Tabby is literally just talking at Maxine for a full minute. She doesn’t even say bye to Halsey when she leaves, you can’t help feeling bad for the girl. This inconsistency undermines the film’s attempts to present Maxine as a fully realised character. Either that or she’s just a horrible friend.
The film’s handling of its horror elements also leaves much to be desired. While technically a slasher flick, MaXXXine opts for a restrained approach to gore and violence, with many deaths occurring off-screen. This decision robs the film of the visceral impact and tension that defined its predecessors and even allows for a predictable ending.
As the movie comes to an end and her father is revealed as this overzealous Christian cult leader, the hypocrisy of the conservative public opinion of the time is painted on screen. From the father’s opinion that “Satan stole his daughter” to the reality that his oppressive and controlling upbringing is actually what drove her away, the film discusses a different type of obsession that the trilogy had yet to talk about—the obsession that men have to control women.
It is seen with her father and how he wants to control Maxine’s life. And it is seen again with Kevin Bacon’s character. Kevin Bacon plays PI John Labat, a man who we think at first is just hired help but quickly becomes a man obsessed with “putting Maxine in her place.”
But if there’s anything we know about Maxine is that she is not someone you can control.
Despite how badly I wanted to love this film, everything about it felt anticlimactic. In the final act when she kills her father, what was intended to be a moment of cathartic release and narrative culmination, instead, falls flat. The build-up to this moment lacks the necessary tension and stakes, making the final act feel unearned. This is mainly due to the messy, slow plot that leaves audiences feeling detached, unable to fully engage with Maxine’s ultimate act of reclaiming power.
It was Kevin Bacon’s death that felt more satisfying as he was the face of the majority of the danger throughout the plot. Once he died, it felt like the ultimate danger in the film died with him.
In the end, the film closes the same way that the trilogy opens—with Maxine staring at herself in the mirror as she snorts a spoonful of coke. Once again portraying the lack of character development and forces us to question if she even deserves her happy ending.
This film isn’t about showcasing growth away from debauchery; it’s about utilising it. From the religious groups protesting against porn and rock n’ roll outside the production studio at the beginning of the film to them still being there in the final scene suggests that debauchery and sin are inescapable. You might as well embrace it and use it to your advantage like Maxine does.
While the film re-explores past themes like obsession and new ones like religious trauma, it forcibly screams them at the audience rather than allowing viewers to arrive at their own conclusions. Every piece of subtext is spelt out, battering the audience with overt explanations and long-winded monologues, leaving little room for subtlety or personal interpretation. It breezes past every theme and motif, as though the audience is incapable of understanding ideas.
The trilogy as a whole has definitely cemented Mia Goth as an ultimate scream queen and has delivered us with iconic lines and Halloween costume ideas that will last us decades.
Unfortunately, this film will not be remembered with the same love.
In conclusion, MaXXXine, despite its visual allure and nostalgic charm, ultimately falls short of delivering a satisfying conclusion to Ti West’s X trilogy. While Mia Goth shines in her role as Maxine Minx, the film’s narrative inconsistencies and lack of depth hinder its impact. What could have been a powerful exploration of obsession and control in the 1980s horror genre instead feels like a missed opportunity, making it a forgettable end to an otherwise promising series.
