Review: ‘MaXXXine’ Is a Disappointing End to Ti West’s X TrilogyReview: ‘MaXXXine’ Is a Disappointing End to Ti West’s X Trilogy Mia Goth returns as the undeniable star Maxine Minx in MaXXXine, the culmination of writer-director Ti West’s thrilling trilogy. Set against the terror of a real-life serial killer known as the Night Stalker, the film finds Maxine on the verge of a big break after horror director Elizabeth Bender gives her a chance. While Goth still shines through the mud and mire of overcomplicated factors, the film is ultimately a disappointing end to the trilogy. The metanarrative of her best days being behind her is not lost on us, but it also feels as if West has stumbled there rather than deliberately steering the audience in that direction. For this farewell to an otherwise fantastic horror franchise, we give MaXXXine 2.5 out of 5 stars overall. As for how gay it is – and we’re generously making allowances for some of her previous explorations! – it’s a measly 2 out of 5 eggplants.
Welcome to How gay is it?Out’s review series where we use our advanced Eggplant Rating System to determine just how queer some of pop culture’s most talked about movies and TV shows are! (Editor’s note: This review contains mild spoilers for A24’s MaXXXine and the trilogy of X (movies.)
Mia Goth is back as undeniable star Maxine Minx in MaXXXinethe culmination of writer-director Ti West’s thrilling trilogy. It takes place significantly after the events of X (the first film in the trilogy), MaXXXine places its title character squarely in the middle of grungy mid-80s La-La Land. Not surprisingly, she’s still obsessed with the dream of transcending her eminence as an adult artist and conquering the mainstream.
Set against the terror of a real-life serial killer known as the Night Stalker, the film finds Maxine on the verge of a big break after horror director Elizabeth Bender (played by Elizabeth Debicki) gives her a chance. Though Miss Minx’s dreams are threatened by the emergence of a mysterious creature from her past, nothing can stand in the starlet’s way as she fends off her ghosts and strives for the spotlight.
It’s a shame that the conclusion of West’s trilogy turns out to be the weakest part of the series. Although you could see the potential without having seen it Pearl (the second of the series), it feels necessary to have seen X. Yes, we know this is how sequels work, but what we loved about the dynamic between Pearl And X was that it always felt like we were given just the right amount of information to tie them together. The first two films work harmoniously together as they explore the cascade of generational trauma, while MaXXXine feels more like an intruder.
A24
In the first two films, West explored sexuality against the backdrop of horror in a meaningful way. However, West somehow loses his trust in the audience during this third film. While X And Pearl wove clues and references with a certain grace, that element disappears in MaXXXineInstead, he relies on over-the-top expositional monologues, most notably through the mouthpiece of the in-universe film director Debicki, who effectively serves as a stand-in for West as director.
While we do not feel it necessary for him to give an open summary of events, X For audiences new to the franchise, we think it would have been helpful to some a sort of extra context for her explosion from the past. Without the context of her previous actions, the film loses an incredible amount of edge. Even armed with that knowledge, it feels like an afterthought.
While the film is peppered with the trademark violence and viscera of the previous films, its use in this film feels more like a plateau than the high point a fan might expect from this latest film.
Goth still shines through the mud and mire of overcomplicated factors. Unfortunately, her performances in the previous films are miles above her performance in MaXXXine because of the material. Meanwhile, actors Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon play some of the most one-dimensional supporting characters we’ve seen in the entire trilogy.
A24
It feels shameful, but perhaps fitting, that everything is scaled back at the end of what was supposed to be an adrenaline-fueled horror film. As the world of cinema Maxine Minx keeps trying to tell us, not everything or everyone is destined for a fairytale ending.
Now let’s look at the question we came to investigate here: How gay is this?! Well, I feel like I’ve been there before. X And Pearl female protagonists exploring their sexual desires and liberation, while MaXXXine is ready to hang up its hat. Moreover, while the adult film industry is still a part of the core plot, MaXXXine is more about moving away from that storyline.
We admired how the first two films spent time building up the characters — sometimes through their sexual exploration — at the beginning of their respective journeys. This latest film, however, jumps straight into the horror elements, meaning we never feel the tension we experienced in X And Pearl.
Although sex work is a core part of Maxine’s world, it suddenly fades into a monotonous background in this final installment. As for romantic entanglements, there’s perhaps a hint of the female director’s lesbian obsession with her starlet… but it’s not really explored.
A24
Despite the ingredients that made the first two films so fresh and exciting being present, MaXXXine is devoid of spark. The metanarrative of her best days being behind her is not lost on us, but it also feels as if West has stumbled there rather than deliberately steering the audience in that direction.
For this farewell to an otherwise fantastic horror franchise, we give MaXXXine 2.5 out of 5 stars overall (although we admit we’re on the generous side). As for how gay it is – and we’re generously making allowances for some of her previous explorations! – it’s a measly 2 out of 5 eggplants.
MaXXXine is now in theaters
