MaXXXine (2024)
MaXXXine
I’m afraid to say I’ve been left disappointed by this. I wouldn’t go as far to say that it’s bad, but it definitely doesn’t hit like ‘X’ or ‘Pearl’ does. I think the first two acts were actually pretty great, as it provides a fun 80’s setting with an almost whodunit tone. There’s great scenery and Hollywood landscaping, with stereotypical 80’s characters. It’s such a great vibe. All the neon lights and the adult shops really sell it. You get wrapped up in the mystery of the Night Stalker, and guess why everything is happening the way it’s happening. Plus, you get to see the studio lots and the Bates Motel, with the Psycho house. It was all good up until it was revealed who was stalking Maxine. I obviously won’t say who, but let’s just say that the creative decisions absolutely killed the movie in the last half an hour or so. It just feels poorly executed, and very disappointing. It doesn’t have a great ending like ‘X’ or ‘Pearl’ does. It just feels thrown together. No disrespect to Ti West, but come on now. All the performances were great, especially Kevin Bacon and Giancarlo Esposito. I liked most of the characters, but it’s the overall vibe of the time and setting that really makes them work. I would’ve liked to see a little more gore and action, which is mostly saved until the end. It was good, but felt minimal. The soundtrack was probably the strongest part of the movie, with retro sounds and a great selection of music that fit the time. Overall, it’s definitely the weakest entry of the trilogy, and just doesn’t go as hard as the first two. I still liked it, but unfortunately there were a lot of weak components. I think I’d still recommend it if you’ve seen the first two, but that’s just for the sake of seeing all three.