Now playing in UK and US cinemas is the horror-thriller, MaXXXine. The film – written, directed, produced, and edited by Ti West – stars Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon, and follows the story of a horror survivor who wants to become a huge movie star.
In the film, the year is 1985 and adult entertainment actress, Maxine Minx is in Hollywood chasing her dream. Maxine is 32, she has big aspirations, and is determined to land a huge part on the big screen.
After attending an open audition for new horror sequel, The Puritan II, Maxine returns to her day job in adult movies convinced she’s finally on her way up. But while Maxine has her eye on the prize, a serial killer known as The Night Stalker is bumping off young woman in Tinsel Town.
For those who have just walked in, MaXXXine is the third entry in Ti West’s X Trilogy. The first instalment was the ‘70s set slasher, X, the second was the 1918 prequel Pearl, and for this third helping we find ourselves in the mid ‘80s.
Mia Goth has starred in all three films, playing two different roles: Pearl Douglas and Maxine Minx. In X, Goth took on both roles, while for Pearl and MaXXXine it’s a singular performance.
Now, the first thing to say is Goth is great in all three movies. She was superb in X, fantastic in Pearl, and now in MaXXXine she’s a treat. As Maxine Minx, Goth is brash, ballsy, and a touch bananas – and with good reason.
For those who don’t recall, Maxine survived the murderous events of X to become the film’s ‘final girl’. As such, she has a hard edge – the sort of edge required to make it in showbiz.
However, surviving the events of X has left Maxine shaken and stirred, and with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. This is something Goth completely understands and she delivers a compelling performance which nails the psychology of the character perfectly.
When writer/director Ti West cast Goth in his horror trilogy he struck gold. The whole X Trilogy is filled with bright spots, but Goth is certainly one of the most notable, and in MaXXXine she really gets to showcase her talents.
Moving beyond Goth, and the second thing of note is just how brilliant West is at creating period pieces. He previously pulled off the grim and gritty grind house feel of the ‘70s in X; he captured 1918 beautifully in Pearl; and now in MaXXXine he gets the excess of the ‘80s just right.
Of course, this isn’t the first time West has recreated the 1980s; he delved into the decade in 2009’s The House of the Devil. But while that film was set during the early 80s, it gave off more of a late ‘70s vibe.
With MaXXXine being firmly set in 1985, West has given himself the opportunity to go full force into the decade we all recognise. He brings big hair, big personalities, and big ideas along the way.
West also brings the fashion, the music, the whole kitchen sink. MaXXXine is as much a recreation of the decade as it is an ode and a satire of what the era had to offer, and it all lands effortlessly.
If you’re a fan of ‘80s horror movies, or films which hark back to the past, you’ll love the aesthetic and social commentary of MaXXXine. You’ll enjoy being immersed in everything that is being chucked at the screen and you’ll be pleased to spend time with a movie which fires up the imagination and captures your attention.
So, pretty good then? You bet!
For those looking for an interesting, intelligent, and immersive horror, MaXXXine certainly delivers. It scratches an itch you probably didn’t know you needed scratching and it’s fair to say I’m a fan.
MaXXXine is grim and macabre and occasionally nuts (especially during the final act), and if you’ve followed the X Trilogy this far you’ll like what’s on offer. However, I’m not quite sure it’ll hit in the same way if this is your first encounter with the series, so do keep this in mind if you’re planning to start with this film (although, I’m not sure why you would?!).
Either way, MaXXXine is a wickedly dark picture about the lengths someone will go to, to make it big. The film provides plenty of commentary on the ‘80s as well as the movie industry as a whole, and is a horrifying delight from start to finish.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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