MAXXXINE -- Ti West’s Slasher Trilogy Comes to a Brilliant, Explosive Conclusion

Review by Cole Groth

As sunset falls on Ti West's X trilogy, let's take a moment to acknowledge what a neat event for the horror series. In X, West delivered a gory homage to '70s slasher flicks. In Pearl, we took a step back to the 1910s for a technicolor nightmare, showcasing the origins of X's villain. Now, West looks forward and places us in the '80s to end the trilogy. Out of the three films, this is easily the best. With a phenomenal leading performance from Mia Goth (who starred in all three), splendid kills, and some of the best cinematography from a horror film in a while, MaXXXine isn't just a great conclusion; it's one of the best horror films of the 2020s.

Six years after the events of the first film, we follow Maxine Minx (Goth), a porn star looking to make her big break in Hollywood during the mid-'80s. Her journey to the top is interrupted as a terrifying serial killer known as the Night Stalker begins murdering people around her and a private investigator (Kevin Bacon) threatens to expose her involvement in the bloody string of deaths that occurred in her past.

Maxine herself is a deeply interesting character, played perfectly by Mia Goth. She carries the aura of mystery around her throughout the film, leading to some great moments as the hero and times when she's frustrating to follow. She's willing to do whatever it takes to reach the top, but her cagey nature leads to plenty of aggravating moments. As the police follow her in an attempt to stop the killer, Minx offers almost no help, and as her friends are being murdered, she remains of little help when she could step up to be a hero. Just because she's the protagonist doesn't mean she's always likable, keeping her a constant source of intrigue.

The cast that surrounds Goth is star-studded and brilliant. Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Giancarlo Esposito, Halsey, and Lily Collins are just a handful of the actors who deliver terrific performances in their supporting roles. They range from devious to heroic, each fleshed out nicely by West's script and interesting to follow. The cast makes MaXXXine stand out as a grand conclusion to the trilogy, bringing it from a series of amateurish low-budget slashers to a horror film with a blockbuster feel.

Speaking of grand, Eliot Rockett's cinematography and West's editing make this one of the coolest-looking horror films of the 21st century. It's perfectly colored and shot to emulate the style of the 80s but manages to stand on its own as more than mere imitation. West plays with some fun editing tricks, like split screens and sliding frames, making this an ambitiously edited film that film nerds will adore.

As far as the killer reveal goes, this will fall flat for those unaware of the trilogy. The unveiling comes out of nowhere and makes almost no sense because the film doesn't set it up within the confines of its runtime. This will lead to problems for new fans but gives audiences who showed up to all three films a more satisfying conclusion.

Ti West has quickly established himself as a horror director for the ages, and if anything is clear from MaXXXine, it's that horror is more alive than ever. It's an impressive experiment in horror, sealing off a phenomenal modern slasher trilogy on a satisfying and intense note. A24's experiment of releasing three cheap horror films within just a couple of years has clearly paid off. West has stated in interviews that he has ideas for the future of the franchise, and while the series seems to have ended on a perfect note with this film, I'll be eagerly awaiting what's next.

MaXXXine releases in theaters starting July 5.

Rating: 4.5/5