Genre: Crime/Thriller
Directed by: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki
Release Date: July 5, 2024
Platform: Theater
Rating: 4.5/5
The highly anticipated third film in director Ti West’s X trilogy has arrived. Maxxxine is another big departure in tone and style from both X and Pearl. The film subverts expectations by being a Giallo and B movie inspired crime thriller, rather than the 80’s slasher that most fans expected. X was a 70’s slasher, in the vein of Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Pearl was a Wizard of Oz inspired psychological thriller (with a bit of brutality). Now we have Maxxxine, which is a blend of Giallo and 80’s B movie crime thriller. The whiplash turns the tone takes are precise, beautiful, and potentially overwhelming but it pays off in a gory, funny, and thrilling ride. If you are unfamiliar with Gialli as a film genre check out my feature about the subject here (hyperlink).
Maxxxine picks up a few years after the events of X. Maxine has moved to Hollywood and become a popular adult film actress. She’s auditioning for roles in mainstream films and is still determined to become a star. Just as things start going her way Maxine’s past threatens to end it all. A lot is happening in Maxxxine, a cat-and- mouse chase with a sleazy detective, a serial killer is killing people all around Maxine, and she’s suffering PTSD from her past experiences in X. The film uses a few different visual storytelling tools to bring all of these story threads together. The slow, precise, color drenched Gialli scenes build tension, while the 80’s sleazy B movie sequences add action and comedic breaks. West also utilizes some De Palma split screens for world building and bridging the other tones and styles together. It’s a brilliant sight to behold.
Performances across the ensemble cast are fantastic with Mia Goth once again dominating the film. Kevin Bacon is having a blast as the bumbling sleazy detective and he manages to steal a few scenes. Elizabeth Debicki brings a typical Gialli inspired character to life and even Halsey does a pretty great job. Giancarlo Esposito is great as always but his character does feel a little under developed. Maxxine ultimately delivers everything it promised; violent killings, beautiful visuals, and the over-the-top scene chewing we love from Mia Goth.
The film was shot on super 16 film and blown up to 35mm before being scanned for digital presentation. The result is a grainy image with blown out whites and washed out colors in bright scenes. This look is reminiscent of low budget 80’s movies that I felt like I was watching an old VHS tape. The production design and wardrobe create a very grounded version of the 1980’s that made the more surreal moments of the film feel creepily relatable. It’s easy for movies set in the 80’s to slap a bunch of pastels on screen and call it a day but thankfully Maxxxine is a lot more thoughtful.
The biggest issues with Maxxxine are Esposito’s character should have been a little more developed and the third act is pretty predictable. A common trope of Gialli is that the final reveal is less important than the journey to that reveal and love it or hate it Maxxxine adheres to this trope. Perhaps the biggest problem with Maxxxine is that it’s not the film fans thought it would be. Most fans believed the film would be an 80’s slash. It is not that, not even close. Subversion of expectations is a good thing though, contrary to what social media says.
Maxxxine does no hand holding throughout its runtime. The film beautifully blends the Giallo storytelling formula with hints of De Palma and 80’s B movie crime thrillers. Not being aware of these subgenres won’t lessen the viewing experience. Discovering these tones, styles, and story tropes will be a monumental experience for those that give themselves over to Maxxxine. The film also assumes you understand that the entirety of Maxine’s arc takes place across X and Maxxxine rather than just this one film. The consistency of Maxine’s decision making is weirdly grounded across both films even when said films are at their most surreal. Maxxxine manages to feel fresh and modern while also being a wonderful tour through classic genre cinema. The film is beautifully shot, the soundtrack is full of fantastic needle drops, and the cast led by Goth is all having a great time. The X trilogy is now, without a doubt, one of the greatest horror trilogies ever made.
