Tonight’s flick is the final installment in Ti West’s X trilogy, MAXXXINE. After the fantastic prequel we got in PEARL, MAXXXINE is a direct sequel to X and finds the titular Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) in LA in 1985 after the terrifying events in Texas, working at a peep show and auditioning for movies in an attempt to be a movie star. But it’s not all glamour in Sin City as the Night Stalker is running about committing murders, making it a dangerous place to live. Still, she gets by with the help of a video store clerk named Leon (Moses Sumney) as well as her fellow adult star and friend Tabby (Hasley).
After a great audition for a slasher sequel to a movie called The Puritan, Maxine lands the lead. The producers have their doubts about it considering all of her previous acting credits are in adult films, but the director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) has faith in Maxine and wants only her for the lead.
But Maxine is being watched a mysterious figure that has hired a private investigator named John Labat (Kevin Bacon) to follow her for some unknown reason. As the murders start to hit close to home, Maxine’s first gig on her way to legit stardom might be over sooner than she realizes unless she can get to the bottom of the mystery.
After the slasher/hagsploitation of X and the psychological horror of PEARL, writer/director West has picked crime-thriller in the vein of ANGEL as the style for this film. Which makes sense given the grime and sleaziness of L.A. in the 80’s that he would want to take advantage of that. I love the retro look as well. West clearly trying to capture the vibe of movies from that era and he accomplished it. I don’t think it hits the highs of either movie, but it’s a fun and well-done last ride through the world of Maxine Minx, including a fun chase through the Universal Studios backlot. It feels a lot like Maxine is a passenger in the story though, wasting some potential for her story arc in favor of the crime elements.
Mia Goth is great as usual, though she doesn’t get to let loose as much as she did in the previous film. Some of that is due to Maxine keeping control of herself so she can be the one in charge of her destiny. She’s haunted by the specter of Pearl, no doubt feeling some remorse in killing her, but nothing is really done with that save for an interesting set piece at the PSYCHO house.
On the other hand, Kevin Bacon chews so much scenery that they probably had to bill him for it after the fact. He absolutely oozes sleaziness as John Labat and is easily the best thing about the film. Which is good as he’s in it for quite some time, providing a tangible nemesis for Maxine to deal with before the true mastermind is revealed.
Giancarlo Esposito is great as Teddy, her agent, and it’s clear he truly cares for his client. Debicki does well as the director, trying to get her movie done as she knows that women in the business don’t get as many chances as their male counterparts. Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale show up as detectives trying to stop the Night Stalker and wondering if Maxine has a link to the new murders that are happening around her. Nothing groundbreaking there but solid performances. Also you get a smattering of other famous people in small parts, like Lily Collins and the aforementioned Halsey, as well as Larry Fessenden and Sophie Thatcher. I love that.
The special effects for the limited gore are well done. There’s not a lot of it but the kills when they happen are worth the wait. Plus it makes it a bit more shocking when it does happen.
That said, I’m not as much a fan of the movie as I was of the first two films. It feels like a let down in a lot of ways. The mystery is something you can figure out from a mile away. I appreciated them using the Night Stalker as it does help muddy the waters. Are the killings by him or are they just an opportunist taking advantage of the chaos he is causing? I think we could have used some more red herrings as with every giallo/mystery you shouldn’t be able to pick the killer out so soon.
Still, it’s a fun ride while it lasts. It might not be the best ending to a trilogy ever but it is certainly a good time.
Check it out.
