In 2022, audiences were introduced to the world of the X trilogy with X and its prequel Pearl, both of which were produced and filmed at a record time and managed to come out in the same year. Only two years later, the working relationship between A24, director Ti West, and producer and actress Mia Goth gives us the last installment of the franchise: MaXXXine. Will the third film of the series provide a fitting conclusion for the trilogy? We can only hope so, as this is probably the last time we see Maxine’s adventures on the big screen, or at least for the foreseeable future.
Set in 1985 Los Angeles, MaXXXine follows the titular character Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) who is now an established star in adult entertainment. Now that she has moved to Los Angeles, Maxine is trying to break into the film industry. Her moment seems to have finally come when she gets the lead in the newest horror film, The Puritan II, directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), who decides to take a chance on Maxine after seeing her audition. But as spectres of the past come back into her life, and the city is haunted by the murder of the Night Stalker, Maxine has a lot on the line to make her dream come true.
Religious references in MaXXXine
One of the most fascinating elements of MaXXXine is its religious references. From the very beginning of the film, the film subtly references religion both visually – the victims of the night stalker are famously marked with what reminds us of religious symbolism, for example – and thematically as the theme of Catholic religion becomes key to the plot and some of the characters. This all ties in with Maxine’s past, which is explored a lot more in the latest installment of the X series. Delving deeper into her backstory helps the audience feel even more connected with the main character but also connects it very well with its predecessor X.
A lot of MaXXXine feels bigger than the previous films of the trilogy now that the narrative takes us to the big city and the very center of the film industry Maxine wants to break into. But it is not just the setting; now that the narrative has moved away from the countryside audiences have gotten used to in the past two installments of the series, everything feels a lot bigger, from the production design to the costumes. Both of those help in creating the atmosphere of the 1980s that is essential to the very plot of the movie as well as creating the sense of something unique with this movie.
MaXXXine’s particular way of depicting Los Angeles
Los Angeles is depicted in a very peculiar way that we do not often see in the movies, as MaXXXine does not shy away from portraying its less glamorous sides where homelessness and murder can grow rampant. As the narrative goes on, both the audience and Maxine get to witness some of the most iconic sites and landmarks of Los Angeles but also of the film industry at large. From the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Sign to the Chinese Theatre, or the very studio lot that viewers who have visited or lived in the City of Angels will recognize well, Ti West showcases Los Angeles in all its glory, as well as in all its misery, given the sensitive time period in which the movie takes place. In this sense, the film treats Los Angeles like one of its characters, and perhaps one of the most important ones too, that evolves and changes together with the story and its protagonists as the movie goes on.
However, MaXXXine is not without its flaws, especially when it comes to its storytelling and narrative structure. Despite being less than two hours long, I really felt the length of the film with this instalment of the trilogy as its pacing feels a bit odd at times, especially with its last act which drags on for too long and takes a whole new tone that does not seem to fit with the first two acts of the movie. The final revelation around which the film seems to rely also ends up being anti-climatic. It is also easily predictable as audiences may very well see it coming from the very beginning of the movie.
Final thoughts on this last film in the X trilogy
A comparison with the other two films of the X trilogy may seem unfair, but only comes naturally as the last installment is bound to invite some reflection on the entire series. MaXXXine may not be the best movie in the X trilogy, nor the best in West’s filmography, but it is still a solid entry that allows the audience to expand on the main character’s backstory and aspirations. Similarly, this film shows us a side of Los Angeles in the 1980s that is fascinating to see on screen, despite its narrative issues and sometimes flawed storytelling.
MaXXXine is now in theaters.
Learn more, including how to buy tickets, by visiting the website for the film.
You might also like…
‘Kill’ Movie Review: A Hindi-language Slaughterfest