Mia Goth returns as the main character in MaXXXine, the third installment of Ti West’s hit horror trilogy involving a murderous adult film actress. This time, Maxine Minx must face the threat of a real historical serial killer who terrorized Los Angeles in the 1980s: the Night Stalker. Following the praise of X (94%) and its prequel, pearl (92%), does this sequel continue the critical success of the franchise? The first reviews of MaXXXine Most say yes, though some say it’s still the least of the three. The main reason to see it remains Goth, who might deliver her best performance to date, while many critics nevertheless agree that the film falters in its climax.
Here’s what the reviews are saying MaXXXine:
Is it as good as the first two films?
West might have saved the best entry for last, with MaXXXine a neon-colored Hollywood nightmare, filled with ambition, ruthless action and an excellent portrayal of the final girl.
—Kat Hughes, THN
Ti West makes three out of three.
— Peter Bradshaw, goalkeeper
Like his predecessors, X And pearlit’s a joyful dive into retro cinema tropes with a vivid evocation of the era, this time with a luxury cast.
— David Rooney, Hollywood journalist
Vibrating with sordidness, satire and shocking violence, MaXXXine was poised to be the best that West and Goth had ever made. But a botched ending leaves a bitter taste.
— Kristy Puchko, Mashable
MaXXXine (is) the least of the trilogy, (but) not a bad film in itself.
— Dan Bayer, next best picture
It’s no pearl.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
MaXXXine is not as good as pearlbut it’s better than X.
— Clarisse Loughrey, independent
(Photo by ©A24)
Does it stand up on its own?
West must be commended immensely for the ability to create a cinematic trilogy where each installment is so different from the last, meaning you don’t necessarily have to watch the other two films before seeing this one.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
The best part is that newcomers can enjoy it independently, but by watching X And pearl previously exponentially improves the experience, creating a near-perfect sequel.
—Tatiana Hullender, Screen Rant
MaXXXine is as different from its predecessors as they are from each other. The constant reinvention of West’s work is to be commended, with each film functioning both as a standalone project and as a cohesive whole.
—Kat Hughes, THN
It takes time to MaXXXine to start feeling like a direct sequel to X. This is, surprisingly, one of its strong points; he tries to be self-sufficient before venturing into the past.
— Siddhant Adlakha, IGN Films
Does this honor old slasher films?
West and cinematographer Eliot Rockett worked tirelessly to create a film that feels of the period, and the end result is a sultry, dirty delight.
—Kat Hughes, THN
Taking the showbiz homages even further, West stages behind-the-scenes scenes at Universal and offers meta-talks about actors who got their start in horror films. It’s all fun, if a little blatant in its nostalgic side.
—James Mottram, Total Film
The trick is this. West wants to pay homage to their utter smut – and, at the same time, create a version of one of them that is ironically “good”… MaXXXine is a macabre exploitation thriller placed in quotation marks, with an anachronistic and powerful heroine at its center.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
MaXXXine commits a little too much to recreating the genre storytelling of the era… West borrowed too much from the writing style of 80s slashers, which weren’t really known for being well written.
— Dan Bayer, best next film
The film is almost too parodic to work as a full-fledged horror film.
—Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network
(Photo by Justin Lubin/©A24)
How do the killings take place?
Awesome.
—BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
He delivers some of the most extreme kills in the series.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire
There are stomped testicles and exploded heads in visceral scarlet red detail.
— Clarisse Loughrey, independent
If you came for the carnage – faces scarred, eyes torn, bodies crushed – then MaXXXine should satisfy your bloodlust.
—James Mottram, Total Film
MaXXXine’This is a horrific murder and its single example of cartoonish violence is not enough.
— Siddhant Adlakha, IGN Films
And the scenario?
West’s film is in fact an abstract reflection on women in cinema… MaXXXine has things to say about the objectification and humiliation of women in Hollywood, as actresses and directors, and, at the same time, the devaluation of horror as a genre as well.
—Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily
There is humor in the use of famous landmarks, from the strategic action taking place around the Hollywood sign to a splashy premiere at Mann’s Chinese Theater, as it was then called.
— David Rooney, Hollywood journalist
Unfortunately, West’s storytelling isn’t as exciting here… It’s disappointing because it lacks the intelligence of the previous films.
— Dan Bayer, best next film
It’s more dramatically sterile, thanks to a story that quickly falls apart and escalating references that add up to very little (if anything at all).
— Siddhant Adlakha, IGN Films
(Photo by ©A24)
Does it have a good soundtrack?
Nostalgic fans will devour the tracks from the soundtrack, including tracks from ZZ Top, New Order, Judas Priest and Kim Carnes, as well as the essential synth-pop groove of Animotion’s “Obsession”. And Tyler Bates’ chilling score helps build the suspense.
— David Rooney, Hollywood journalist
It’s the soundtrack that cements MaXXXine from the decade. Opening with ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin'” and featuring Frankie Goes to Hollywood, John Parr, Kim Carnes and Animotion, this soundtrack couldn’t be more authentically ’80s.
—Kat Hughes, THN
How is Mia Goth this time?
Goth is once again at the top of his game.
—Kat Hughes, THN
MaXXXine is Goth’s most complete performance to date, blending elements of his hypnosis X characters with the modern villainy she brought to Brandon Cronenberg’s film Overflowing swimming pool for a singular gender role.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire
She plays Maxine with enough direct and convincing aggression to leave us wondering if Maxine might be hardcore porn’s hidden answer to Vivien Leigh.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Here she takes on the tender mania of pearl and makes him colder and more determined. As an actress, she is very good at maintaining the separation between what she wants her audience to see and what she doesn’t want to see.
— Clarisse Loughrey, independent
It’s the Mia Goth show and fans wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a magnetic presence that reinforces her command as a new breed of scream queen, tough enough to dish out punishment and receive it.
— David Rooney, Hollywood journalist
Watching her take center stage in this trilogy and go from a promising young woman to one of the greatest of all time has been a pleasure in itself, but watching her take Maxine to ever greater heights of ferocity controlled is the kind of thing movies are made for.
— Dan Bayer, next best picture
She is undeniable, unstoppable, and we should all consider ourselves lucky to catch a glimpse of this formidable talent, even if only by chance.
—BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
(Photo by Justin Lubin/©A24)
And the rest of the cast?
The film gets a lot of juice from its ensemble cast.
—David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
MaXXXine has the strongest supporting cast in the trilogy… Giancarlo Esposito steals the show as Teddy Knight, Maxine’s cantankerous agent-lawyer, and Elizabeth Debicki is an absolute vision as a pragmatic director who has more than enough finished with the patriarchal playground of cinema.
—BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
Giancarlo Esposito is the standout, and he’s clearly having the time of his life playing loyal agent Teddy Night, but Elizabeth Debicki’s directorial role also gives him plenty to chew on.
—Tatiana Hullender, Screen Rant
The film is almost stolen by the statuesque and charismatic Elizabeth Debicki with giant padded shoulders.
— Peter Bradshaw, goalkeeper
As for the new characters, the real protagonist is Kevin Bacon as a sleazy private detective.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Kevin Bacon…is lit Wild Things comic gold level.
— Kat Hughes, THN
Does the film stick the landing?
West uses the final stage of Maxine’s story to imagine how one girl’s final trauma might turn into a (hugely entertaining) vitriolic jet of vengeance. The result is an outrageous display of toxicity with sparkling appeal.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire
It’s in the last act of the film that things turn a little weird… This may leave some viewers wanting more because there has been so much proper build-up to a resolution that just doesn’t really work.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior
Something gets lost as West and Goth rush toward a climax that doesn’t deserve the movie leading up to it.
— Kristy Puchko, Mashable
The reveal of the killer’s identity is not only obvious, but presented in a disappointingly simple manner.
— Dan Bayer, next best picture
When we finally get the reveal of who the killer is, it’s supposed to be Babylon’s heart of darkness. But instead you just think, “Sorry, I don’t believe that at all.” »
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
(Photo by Justin Lubin/©A24)
Will this leave us wanting more X movies?
If they make another movie in the series I would still be down for it.
—Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network
You might hope we haven’t seen the last of (Maxine).
— David Rooney, Hollywood journalist
At this point, we should all welcome as many movies as possible with Goth in the lead role. If Freddy, Jason and Michael are entitled to massive franchises, there is no rule stopping us from having more franchises. X-postman.
—BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
91%
MaXXXine
(2024)
hits theaters on July 5, 2024.
Thumbnail image by ©A24
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