MaXXXine

The worst of the loose trilogy and three levels lower than the previous and excellent Pearl. It's as if Ti West ran out of ideas and Mia Goth in the producer's chair didn't help. It has no pizzazz, not a single memorable scene, no visual ideas. The insane 80s atmosphere is minimally exploited, and if it was at least as dull as the typical slashers of the era, I'd say to myself "good, West pays homage skillfully". Except the gore and murders are almost absent, the whole thing is devoid of wit and suspense, and the director does try to make a point, but it's pulled out of his ass with the whole "cult" thing, and I just shook my head during the shootout by the pool. Kevin Bacon makes a couple of unnecessary appearances, and his role is fades out in a few minutes, and Goth, whose performance in Pearl had me in a trance, bored me here. If only West had at least included the Night Stalker, who is mentioned throughout the film, but no way. It almost feels like West and the crew just wanted to fool around with the camera and conceived the whole thing in a lazily, half-assed and half-throttled manner. (26/08/2024)

Ti West once again convincingly fetishizes the horror subgenre of yesteryear, unfortunately this time I have a bit of a problem with it, because this particular slice of horror (80s trash set in the streets of a big city) is not one of my favorites. I guess subjectively I would have much preferred if MaXXXine had a more prominent role for the giallo elements that it is partly based on. I can tolerate a sleazy thriller with a charmingly demented satanic panic twist, but it won't become my favourite. And even though it's pleasantly refreshing in specific moments, uncompromising and, for all its stupidity, nicely contrived, the various motifs fit together meaningfully. (16/07/2024)

The conclusion of the  X / Pearl / MaXXXine trilogy starts out promisingly and delights the viewer with its insidiously sinister tone, horror distastefulness, 1980s-style audiovisual aspect and setting in Hollywood movie studios, but the depiction of a Satanic cult and the impression made by the point drags the film down into the realm of lazy and cheap bullshit that fans of the series don’t want. Furthermore, the film does not in any way utilize the presence of the infamous "Night Stalker" (see the excellent Netflix documentary), who is mentioned only in news reports. [Karlovy Vary International Film Festival] (07/07/2024)

Ti West has concluded his loose Texas-Hollywood trilogy for us, and there's a bit of a pattern to it now. With X, West dazzled us with a very accomplished retro visual style, although the simple script wasn't exactly anything to write home about. Then came Pearl, a rather admirable horror character study and the highlight (or anomaly) of the entire trilogy, and by extension the director's entire catalogue. With MaXXXine, West has rather returned to the beginning again, that is, to the triumph of form over content. On paper, it feels a little unfinished, unpolished, perhaps the director has become a bit tired as an auteur. It's still great fun, has great visuals, and the setting in the mid-80s looks totally believable. Ti West has never been a strong screenwriter, but he likes film, he likes filmmaking, and he also likes to quote from genre classics. A slight disappointment after the great Pearl, but a fine unpretentious movie nonetheless. [KVIFF 2024] (06/07/2024)

MaXXXine Minx is an adult film star, but she wants to take the next step in her career and is aiming for the lead role in an upcoming horror film. But succeeding in a Hollywood filled with madmen, serial killers and violence won't be easy. Especially when her past comes to mind. Ti West has conceived the final installment of his trilogy as a great homage to the 80s and the brainy thrillers and horror films of that era, and has uncompromisingly subordinated everything to it. Anyone expecting a traditional thriller with light genre games is in for a bummer. MaXXXine isn't afraid to be a wild, ridiculous and bizarre B-movie. And it certainly doesn't try to be cute. But it's undoubtedly interesting not just to fans of what West is paying homage to here. (09/07/2024)