X was one of those movies I’ve been hearing about for years but never got a chance to see. A bunch of kids in the late 70s set out to make an adult movie in a farmhouse unbeknownst to the farms elderly owners. I knew something horrific was suppose to unfold but X has always described as a movie “You just have to see.” I got a chance to now only watch X, but it’s prequel Pearl and it’s sequel MaXXXine. At the center of all three films is actress Mia Goth, who outside of being cast in a Marvel movie, I had never heard of. I found her quite captivating and to have pretty solid range between all three films making them much better than I expected.
X
To anyone who tried to explain X to me,I get it now, X really is a movie “You just have to see.” I can only explain it as a Texas Chainsaw movie but instead of a cannibalistic family hunting down a group of teens, it’s two horny old people hunting down some budding amateur adult film stars and their crew. The characters and setting of X really drew me in and got me invested in the story write and director Ti West wanted to tell. The kills were great with just about every type of slasher flare you could expect. X also has a lot going on in the background around the characters. It’s almost Tarrantino-esque at times the amount of details about the world X takes place in that’s littered across the movie. X’s only downfall is that it is very predicatbale due to the amount of inspiration it takes from slashers that came before it.
Overall X is a fun tribute slasher that borrows a lot from it’s inspirations creating a fun slasher. 3/5
Pearl
Pearl was actually filmed in secret right along X. Released later the same year Pearl is the 1918 origin story of one of the first films deadly elderly. While X is a dark and depraved nightmare, pearl is bright colorful and utterly terrifying. As Pearl progresses into her own identity her mental state unravels under the constant eye of her overbearing mother. Mia Goth absolutely crushes her role as Pearl. She has the ability to be extremely charming and than immediately pivot to a completely unhinged psychopath. You can’t help but feel bad for Pearl along with her victims as she completely breaks with reality over the course of the film. The kills are much more personal and at times heartbreaking this time around. Pearl is a rare instance of a prequel being a better film than it’s predecessor.
Pearl more then builds on the world X started and is my favorite entry in the trilogy. 5/5
MaXXXine
Taking place in 1985, MaXXXine rounds out the X trilogy. Maxine is now in California following the events of X. As she tries to break out of the adult film industry she becomes the target of someone who knows her past and what transpired during the events of X. At the height of the 1980’s satanic panic and the deadly Nightstalker on the loose, several of Maxine’s friends start to die around her. Maxine juggles ridding herself of her past while getting her first big break in regular films. There are callbacks to X all throughout MaXXXine. The cast is absolutely solid performances from Kevin Bacon and Giancarlo Esposito. Kevin Bacon is a particular standout playing an unhinged private detective stalking Maxine. The kills are lacking in this one as they mostly happen off camera. However MaXXXine stands on it own with the other films in the trilogy rounding out one of the best trilogies in modern slasher horror.
MaXXXine is another solid entry in the X trilogy, eclipsing the original and leaving on a high note. 4/5