A Love Letter to 80s Sleaze

The 80s was an interesting era when it comes to Hollywood and filmmaking. The summer blockbuster was created in the 70s and became an even bigger deal in the 80s. Everything had to be bigger, better, brighter, and even sleazier. When we think of 80s horror, we often think of the slasher craze, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. It was also an era of transition. American culture and Hollywood went under a big transition from the 70s to the 80s. Film and culture is something that Ti West’s X trilogy seems to be all about.

If we trace the series in order, we begin with X, which seems like a simple film (they all do). A group of young twenty-somethings rent a barn in hopes of shooting a porno film in secret, only to be killed off one by one by the owner's wife, Pearl. An older woman who had dreams of being a star, those dreams never happened. X, in reality, is a tribute to the exploitation films of the 70s and pornography. Take a little bit of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and take a little from Debbie Does Dallas and you have the vibe X is going for. But the movie is trying to have a conversation about exploitation films and pornography. The movie is a homage to the genres that gave us people like Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and John Carpenter. The movie also has Mia Goth in two standout performances, Maxine Minx, the porn star with the It factor and Pearl, the old woman who has the It factor, but never reached her dream or her desire to be a star.

In Pearl, which is set up as a prequel to X, we meet the title character Pearl, also played by Mia Goth, in a standout performance. In this movie we meet a younger Pearl as she's living in her small Texas town, with dreams of being something bigger. We also see her homicidal side awaken in this movie as she stacks up a small body count. The movie is a homage to the technicolor films of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. It’s also a wonderful character study for a character with such a deranged mind, and also another standout performance by Mia Goth.

Which brings us to MaXXXine, the newest movie by Ti West, and the latest installment in the X movie series. The time period has been updated to the sleazy 80s, and its genre has changed as well. The movie plays out as a Brian DePalma-style dark, psychological thriller, while also paying homage to the Italian giallo movies. Maxine Minx, the sole survivor from X, has been living in Hollywood and found success as an Adult movie star. However, she isn’t a star. The movie opens as she's auditioning for a horror movie called The Puritan 2, a sequel to a controversial horror movie. While she’s preparing to make this movie, there is a killer in a trench coat and black gloves who seems to be stalking her and killing her friends one by one. Will Maxine live to find the success she dreams of, or will she be another one of Hollywood’s lost actresses? Only one way to find out.

Just like the other movies in the series, this is paying homage to 80s cinema. Specifically, it’s paying homage to Brian DePalma. That means while I’d personally consider this a horror movie, it plays out more of a “who done it?” slasher, or a psychological thriller. The movie takes bold swings with its change of genre, but Ti West is a director who proves that he can tackle many different types of movies. He just added DePalma-esque thrillers to the list. On top of that, this movie has some stand out performances: Mia Goth, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon all steal every scene they are in.

The only downfall of this movie is that it’s juggling a lot of balls, and personally, I feel it fumbles its third act a little bit. But even so, the movie is still a blast to watch. Mia Goth steals the show again and I could watch her as Maxine Minx for years to come. Despite its third act shortcomings, MaXXXine is a movie that has a lot to offer, and if you’re someone who’s been following the series, definitely check out this newest one as a love letter to DePalma and giallo slashers.

TW: Stalking, Gore, Misogyny, Religious Fundamentalism

Review by Richard Gerlach

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