Ti West is back, and this time he’s bringing the glitz, the glamour, and the gore with his latest horror flick and finale to the beloved "X" trilogy, "Maxxxine." Tough as it may be to follow up 2022's slasher "X" and its prequel "Pearl," it sticks its landing and solidifies the series as a perfect horror trilogy.
"Maxxxine" feels like a love letter to the neon-soaked, hedonistic heart of 1980s Los Angelos. Our girl Maxine Minx, played with scream queen perfection by Mia Goth, is clawing her way to stardom in the cutthroat world of Hollywood. But behind the glam—this is a Ti West movie after all—her road to fame is paved with way more than just ambition and talent. We’re talking blood, guts, and a whole lot of nightmares lurking within the dark heart of Hollywood.
Visually, "Maxxxine" is a total feast. West's Hollywood feels both timeless and eerily relevant, from the gaudy neon lights to the sleazy nightclubs to the blood soaked video rental store. Cinematographer Eliot Rockett bathes everything in a lurid glow, VHS nostalgia, and ultimately makes "Maxxxine" not just a horror film, but a full-on visual spectacle.
Much like in the film's predecessor "Pearl," Goth's performance is the beating heart of this film. She brings a complexity to Maxine that makes her both sympathetic and terrifying—and unbelievably badass. Maxine's strong ambition is never hindered by her emotional trauma, but Goth's performance provides a delicate human element amidst the chaos and carnage.
Of course, the entire cast deserves recognition, from Kevin Bacon as a ruthless industry mogul to Moses Sumney as Maxine's close friend and video store clerk (and queer icon).
All three films in the "X" trilogy dig into the dark side of aspiration and what people will do to achieve their dreams. Whether it’s the quiet desperation of Pearl’s rural isolation, the gritty reality of X’s adult film industry, or Maxine's brutal climb to stardom, West demonstrates how dreams can easily turn into nightmares.
"Maxxxine" is a fitting end to a trilogy that’s consistently pushes the boundaries of the genre, blending psychological horror, slashers, and character-driven drama into a beautiful cocktail of cinema. Although not quite as scary or visceral as the previous two films, "Maxxxine" remains a fun, dark and twisted odyssey of persevering through trauma and the brutality of Hollywood, cementing Ti West’s status as one of the most visionary directors in contemporary horror.
