Overview
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
The third chapter in Ti West’s trilogy is a direct sequel to the first film, X, after the second film, Pearl, served as a prequel. The story picks up with Maxine, played once more by Mia Goth, who since the events of the first film has made a mark in the world of adult entertainment, but now desires to break into the big time of Hollywood stardom with parts in more high profile films. When she auditions for a breakout part in a horror sequel, her path to stardom begins, but something dark is playing in the underbelly of LA, with the gruesome Night Stalker murders taking place, and fellow starlets going missing. Then, a reminder of Maxine’s own past comes back to haunt her when a VHS of her and her friends from the first film is delivered to her. With evidence pointing LAPD detectives Willaims and Torres (Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannivale) in Maxine’s direction, personal and professional life collide for Maxine, threatening not just her life, but her chance at fame and fortune.
The first film, X, was a play on the late 70s horror both in story and in presentation. Pearl was a technicolour dreamscape horror, echoing the era of films it was set within. Maxxxine has a similar shift in style, this time echoing the grubby crime thrillers of the early 80s, exploring the dark underbelly of Hollywood, with neon lights cutting through darkened streets. This shifting tone between the films works perfectly to let each entry be its own thing, whilst still containing the connective tissue to link the three chapters. Setting the tale against the backdrop of the real life Night Stalker murders adds a dark sense of realism and threat throughout, which grounds the film into the real world setting it explores.
Goth once more dominates the screen, being every bit the star that Maxine herself aspires to be, with a fiercely strong performance that captures the ‘anything for fame’ approach that Maxine herself abides by. Around her the key cast and support are drawn from a plethora of great names, with the aforementioned Monaghan and Cannavale, Elizabeth Debicki, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon being particularly notable for what they each bring to their parts. The mix of characters, and how well they are presented, ensures that you cannot help but be drawn into this seedy world, and root for Maxine throughout.
Those expecting the full-on horror of X may feel a little disappointed by the approach taken here – yes there are fleeting moments of gruesome effects, but they are sporadic and mostly absent. Instead, this film’s almost noirish approach offers a different style and tone once again, which I feel makes it not just a cheap sequel, but a fascinating study of corruption and coverups within the upper echelons of the Hollywood elite.
West initially said that he was only making a trilogy, with each one having its own feel, and he has more than succeeded, showing his love for films across the decades as a result. In recent months he has hinted at a possible 4th film idea that he has to link in, and it is safe to say that I’d be more than curious to see where he could explore, and how he would explore it, if that ever comes to fruition. In the meantime, the whole X trilogy have been a marvellous showcase of West as a director, and Goth as a lead, and make for a satisfying journey.