MaXXXine
MaXXXine
Starring Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon
Directed by Ti West
It's 1985, and Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) is about to step out of the adult film industry and become a legitimate star after escaping the madness of the farm back in 1979. She auditions for the sequel to "The Puritan" under the direction of Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), and she nails her audition. Prepared for a life of superstardom she deserves, Maxine is oblivious to the fact that the Night Stalker is out there killing young girls in Hollywood. When her friends start dying, she discovers that she's on someone's hit list - especially when private investigator John Labat (Kevin Bacon) threatens to release police video that proves she was at the farm when the murders occurred. Being so close to everything she's ever dreamed of, Maxine finds her strength to combat those who would try to bring her down and keep her from living the life she deserves.
So why do some people dislike this film? Essentially it boils down to two aspects. The first is the preconceived notion of what audiences were getting into. Many expected "MaXXXine" to be a full-on slasher where Maxine goes against the Night Stalker who kills all her friends and produces a huge body count with copious amounts of blood and gore. The other is the ending and the twist that many felt was out of left field and doesn't make a lot of sense, and diminishes Maxine's character.
So here's why I loved the film. Going into it, I didn't have such notions of it being a bloodbath, as if you look at "X" and "Pearl," you'll find two totally tonally different movies. "X" was a love letter throwback to "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" where a group of good looking youths are dispatched by killers - this time two octogenarians who have beef with their youth and sexual vitality. It's the most "horror" movie of the franchise, a film that on the surface looks like a by-the-books slasher but has an underlying undercurrent story of the resentment of youth and fear of aging. The film also featured Mia Goth in double duty both as the star Maxine as well as the killer Pearl, and she slays it on both ends.
"Pearl" is the prequel film that delves into the octogenarian Pearl when she was younger, and her desire to be a star. Starring Mia Goth again but this time in her natural element, "Pearl" was more a technicolor character study of a woman spiraling out of control, as Pearl's obsession turns deadly as she stops at nothing to make her dream come true. While it's horror in a sense, "Pearl" is more akin to a "Joker" movie in its deep character study and lack of body count. Yet, to me, this is the best of the franchise due to Goth's committed performance, especially her monologue near the end that will incite more goosebumps than seeing hundreds of teens die on screen.
So going into "MaXXXine," I knew I probably wasn't going to get the bloodbath of "X," and I was right. Instead, Ti West again dives deep into the subculture of the period and produces a David Lynch-style neo-noir murder mystery with all the trimmings. "X" excelled in 70s style, "Pearl" with its 1910s technicolor wonder, and "MaXXXine" showcases Hollywood in all its 80s sleazy goodness, filled with dark, dank alleys, soulless set pieces, and dimly lit corridors that give off something akin to the opposite of the Hollywood dream. The style, the color, the costumes and the music all bleed 80s style, and Ti West does a tremendous job again at crafting a period piece film.
Once the twist hit and the conclusion began, I could understand why some people would be against it. It wasn't my personal idea of how it should end, but it wasn't something out of left field. It actually made sense at the time and continues to make sense as I still stew on it, and anyone who paid attention to the franchise to this point would see it as well. While it's not as intense as I wanted, it still checked all the boxes in my mind of what makes for a decent conclusion even if it's not as grandiose as I wanted it to be.
Personally, if I had any gripe in the film, it's that Ti West cast too many famous actors who steal the show from Maxine. Elizabeth Debicki's no-nonsense director Elizabeth Bender makes herself every part Maxine's equal, showcasing her ruthless nature and almost diminishing Maxine as a quiet wallflower especially on her tour of the Warner Bros. studio lot. Kevin Bacon literally chews the scenery out of Mia Goth's way as the private investigator with a shady boss who stalks Maxine and blackmails her with her past sins. Giancarlo Esposito lets loose and gives a more humorous take on his iconic style of acting, playing Maxine's very ethically loose manager. Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale play your stereotypical good cop-bad cop detectives searching for the Night Stalker. In casting so many big names, they sometimes overshadow Goth's performance even though all of them give exemplary work.
Yet, the film still belongs to Mia Goth, and her total commitment to the story shows in every frame she's in. She and Ti West combined forces to craft this unique trilogy and she proves she's not just in it for the cash - she has a deep connection with Maxine (as well as Pearl), and it's this commitment that excels her performance. She's been through it, and she's not afraid of anything or anyone - especially when they get in her way of superstardom. The film opens with her confidently entering an audition and totally nailing it, giving another dramatic monologue akin to her Pearl performance that's just as goosebump-inducing. Her strut continues throughout the film as she takes no prisoners (for the most part, but again she struggles against Debicki's Elizabeth on a few occasions) and holds her own in the face of near-certain death. She doesn't shy away from Labat's blackmail, she doesn't want to help the cops because she feels that any target of the Night Stalker should be able to defend themselves (as she did), and even the loss of her friends doesn't really deter her dream from coming true. Goth is a star, Maxine is a star, and together they're a superstar.
Something else I can appreciate about this franchise is their ability to shine both as independent outings but together as a whole. You don't have to watch "Pearl" to watch "X," but in doing so you'll get a deeper appreciation for Pearl's character in "X." You don't necessarily have to watch "X" to watch "MaXXXine" (since there's a few flashbacks that fill in the important pieces), but in doing so you'll get a deeper appreciation for Maxine's character. Each one stands on their own merit, and each one - together - forms one of the best trilogies in recent years, led by the strength of Mia Goth and the tutelage of Ti West behind the camera.
The Score: A+
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