One Star Classics

Exactly why MaXXXine hasn’t seen the love X and Pearl saw confounds me. Maybe people are tired of the titular character—the three Maxine movies were released in quick succession—or maybe they aren’t clamoring for a 1985-style slasher (officially the genre, though there isn’t much slashing here). Either way, X currently stands with a healthy 83% on the Classicmeter™—MaXXXine clocks in with a respectable but unremarkable 72%. Frankly, it deserves better.

Set six years after the massacre of her fellow cast and crew members in X, Maxine (Mia Goth) is set to take the leap from adult films to mainstream cinema with a lead role in Puritan II. But, her past is about to catch up with her as a private detective (Kevin Bacon) has taken an interest in the 1979 killings. All whilst a mysterious serial killer, the Night Stalker, is terrorizing up-and-coming Hollywood actresses.

Very dramatic, and, this being a Ti West film, shown through the lens of what a 1980s Hitchcock might have done. Truly, I could fully see him having shot something like this, and West isn’t afraid to show his reverence, either: At one point, Maxine hides out in the house from Psycho. A bit on the nose, maybe, but still fitting.

Much like his The House of the Devil West properly catches the 1980s vibe. This doesn’t feel like a Stranger Things-style parody of the decade, but rather what the era actually looked like. (Which was a mixed bag.)

Too, MaXXXine shows off a stellar cast. Old pros like Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan join the party alongside relative newcomers like Sophie Thatcher and Lily Collins. It’s a stacked gallery where even the great Larry Fessenden makes an appearance.

As for the slasher tag—while there are a handful of graphic scenes, MaXXXine mostly plays like a mystery-thriller. And thankfully so. I’m a whole lot more interested in finding out why a P.I. is stalking Maxine than seeing her take down a would-be assailant. The former is tense and drives the plot; the latter—which does happen—serves the purpose of fleshing out the character but is forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

I suppose Psycho, too, was labeled a slasher in its time, but I’m not sure anyone watches it as anything but a psychological thriller these days.

The Hitchcock comparison may be trite, but it’s appropriate—MaXXXine does fall firmly into being a Hitchcock pastiche. And there’s nothing wrong with that when the film works as well as this does.

I don’t know why it hasn’t gotten the same cred as X or Pearl—to me, MaXXXine is a banger, and I can only assume its reputation will grow as soon as Maxine fatigue pewters out.

By Remi, Oct 04, 2024

Letterboxd summary: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

Ratings from around the web

Icon	Site	Score
	One Star Classics	5/6
	Letterboxd	3.13/5
	IMDb	6.3/10
	Rotten Tomatoes	73/100
	Classicmeter™	72%

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