By – Gareth Jones

For fans of meta-horror/self-reflexive cinema, 80’s slasher/giallo homage, Ti West, Mia Goth

Ti West has now been making horror films for over 15 years.  Most, if not all, of his films are homages to classics of the genre or at least the aesthetic to specific decades, in particular the 70s and 80s.  You can definitely tell he has a love for the genre but is also thoughtful about the tropes and stereotypes. He has carried this balance from The House of the Devil and has in my mind, culminated with the X trilogy starring the sensational Mia Goth.  MaXXXine just came out and I highly recommend seeing it in a theater with a crowd, with the Sidewalk Cinema in Birmingham being a perfect location.  I attended a screening last weekend with co-host of Sleep In Cinema, Craig Ceravolo, and we saw multiple friends there and the experience of mutual disgust and delight heightened the experience tremendously.

MaXXXine wraps up the trilogy (although if it does well enough, maybe West will be enticed to do additional sequels or films in the Maxine universe) in a very satisfying manner.  It is a direct sequel to the events in X and does a fantastic job recreating the grit and grime of LA and Hollywood in the 80s.  As someone who grew up in that era, this “nostalgia” reminded me of several of my favorite films that served as influences on the film.  I immediately re-watched Hardcore by Paul Schrader and To Live and Die in LA by William Friedkin.  Both are excellent films and have stood the test of time.  In both cases, the leads are men digging into the underbelly of crime and sex.  MaXXXine is notable because of the lead performance and the perspective from a female protagonist.

The story is relatively simple, with Maxine now a successful adult film actor, trying to break into the “respected” movie business.  However, a serial killer (is it the Night Stalker in the news?) is taking down everyone around her.  She must deal with all the ups and downs of working in the business whilst dodging the machinations of the killer.  Of course, the plot is ultimately secondary to the aesthetics and expectations of the genre.  West delivers these from the leather gloves and graphic colorful violence of the giallo genre to the perfectly selected songs from the 80s that do bring a nostalgic emotion but also align expertly with the events and characters.  These songs are not just there to sell a soundtrack.  They are commentary and build on the visual language.    

I enjoyed all of these elements, but ultimately the film wins because of the acting.  Mia Goth has now established herself as a force of nature in this genre.  She has taken the “final girl” trope to new levels. Her performance here builds on the work of the previous films and she is phenomenal.  Joining her are two 80s icons, Kevin Bacon and Giancarlo Esposito, both devouring the scenery with gusto.  The rest of the supporting cast is also wonderful, with special mention of Elizabeth Debicki as the powerful director of the film within the film.  Her height (often hidden in other films) is expertly used here to exert dominance over the set and those working there.

Now that I have seen the complete trilogy, my favorite is still Pearl (Mia Goth should have been nominated for an Oscar), but MaXXXine shows that Ti West continues to challenge the expectations of the genre.  I read a review by Paul Schrader that basically said that West was a very good filmmaker but was limiting himself with the horror genre.  I politely disagree with Mr. Schrader.  I think that West has helped push the genre in new directions whilst still keeping useful and effective elements.  Yes, I would like to see him do other films, but I am still very happy he made this trilogy.

Go see it in the theater, and if you are in Birmingham, there is no better place than the Sidewalk Cinema.