MaXXXine
“I will not accept a life I do not deserve” -MaxXxine
But will I accept a movie I do not deserve? The movie is the third of the X trilogy, and the first two were some of my favorite films of 2022, so anticipation was high. Sadly, despite another master class from Mia Goth who has championed the entire series, I think this film falls short. The first issue that it runs into is that the story isn’t there. At times, it feels like the story is going a few different ways, but it seems TI West didn’t know exactly where he wanted to go. The route it ends up taking is predictable. Z even said he figured the twist out in the opening credits, and I figured it out about halfway through. The joy of the original two is that even if you have a good idea of what is going to happen, you are ultimately surprised on your journey there. The last disappointment is how corny the dialog becomes. It obviously is a nod to the 80s aesthetic it's going for which can be known for some questionable acting, but this is tough to swallow. In Pearl, it has one of the greatest monologues I have ever heard, so we know he can write at an elite level, but it was absent here.
It may seem like I am painting the picture for a ‘bad’ film, which it isn’t. The movie does have a lot of redeeming qualities, but for me it was wildly disappointing. A big reason the original movies are so acclaimed is that they are able to essentially make a period piece. This falls right in line. The 80’s feel and setting is great. It feels like you are not only watching a movie based in the 80’s but that it was also filmed then. Along with that, it has some of the better needle drops of a film this year. I found myself tapping my toe and logging songs to my playlist for the ride home. Overall, MaxXxine isn't the thrilling conclusion to the X trilogy it craves to be. While the cinematography is elite, the narrative stumbles, the surprises are absent, and the dialogue feels forced. Mia Goth remains a true star and will continue to be one of my must watch actresses, but even she couldn’t elevate this film to live up to the brilliance of the original 2. Just like MaxXine knew she deserved better, I think we sadly did too.
-J
Jord was the one to get E and I to watch X and Pearl to begin with, and though X fell into the genre of mindless slasher, Pearl was something special, and made me much more interested in Ti West’s future work. But MaXXXine gave me mixed feelings about his taste, as the writing and story were laughably bad. The performances are top notch though, as Mia Goth is given yet another vehicle to showcase her abilities, but she was upstaged every moment Kevin Bacon’s deliciously greasy New Orleans private detective surfaced. If you’re a fan of Kevin Bacon his work here may be the one reason to give MaXXXine a watch. Otherwise, it’s a disappointing end to a trilogy that had some truly soaring peaks. Predictable, unoriginal, and also like, not a horror movie? More of a barely noir faux-thriller? It was a mess.
-Z
