Review: MaXXXine

 by A.J.

MaXXXine

Writer-director Ti West’s X, set in 1979 and starring Mia Goth, was an adequate slasher genre exercise. The prequel, Pearl, set in 1918 and starring Mia Goth, was an excellent character study, and, in a very welcome surprise, one of the best horror movies of recent years. Now MaXXXine, set in 1985 and starring Mia Goth, is an 80’s horror pastiche, driven more by aesthetic and style than character or even genre. There are touches of 80’s horror, slashers, thrillers, and sleazy low budget movies in general. Everything coalesces fairly well though the ending becomes unwieldy and disappointingly anticlimactic despite an 80’s inspired poolside shootout. If an exploding head is a letdown, then you have made some mistakes with your movie.

Mia Goth stars as Maxine Minx, sole survivor of the “Texas Porn Star Massacre” depicted in X, who is now an adult film star living in L.A. and trying to break into mainstream movies. Her big chance comes when she is cast in the low budget but highly anticipated horror sequel, The Puritan II. Then she begins receiving cryptic notes about her past, her co-workers begin turning up dead after saying they are going to a party in the Hollywood hills, and she is being followed by a sleazy private detective working for a mysterious figure.

Unfortunately most of the great cast is underserved by the material. Bobby Cannavale has some fun moments but still feels underused as an L.A. detective who originally wanted to be an actor. His partner, played by Michelle Monaghan, has decidedly less to do. Giancarlo Esposito and his fabulous wig have too few scenes as Maxine’s agent. However, it’s clear that Kevin Bacon is having a good time as the sleazy private detective with a super heavy New Orleans accent. The performer with the stand out role is Elizabeth Debicki as the director of the horror movie. She is a non-threatening but steely and intimidating presence. Her tall figure looms over Goth in the few scenes where Goth gets to hint at being vulnerable and out of her element. That was the key to Pearl’s success: Mia Goth was able to show a vulnerable side as well as a psycho side. Here we have Maxine, determined and ambitious, with bursts of violent rage that hint at more beneath the surface; but we never get more. An early scene of Maxine delivering a violent comeuppance to a menacing male and another scene of her punching someone in the head while “St. Elmo's Fire” plays in the background–the highlight of the movie which has forever changed what I'll think about when I hear that song–promise a more volatile character and a more exciting movie. Even the action packed climax makes the inexplicable choice to mostly sideline Maxine both physically and dramatically. Ultimately, and most unfortunately, the person most underserved by the script and approach is Mia Goth. This is nowhere near the showcase for her great talent that Pearl provided (it's worth noting that Goth co-wrote the screenplay for Pearl ).

Setting the story against the real-life Night Stalker killings in Los Angeles is unnecessary as it seems to be more for ambiance than anything else since the murders of Maxine's friends are clearly not by the Night Stalker. The production design, costumes, and soundtrack do such a great job of establishing the era that no extra atmosphere is needed. This is not the sleek, dazzling New Wave version of the 1980's that we see so often in 21st century movies and TV shows. This is the dingy, lived in 1980's that would give way to the grunge era of the early 90's. The cars are square and look ugly, the characters drink New Coke from a beat up vending machine, and there is more brown and beige than anyone who lived in the 80’s cares to remember. When it comes, the violence is shown in close up and is gory and stylish but also empty and lacking visceral shock; it is just more ambiance.

MaXXXine is by no means a bad movie, but its best scenes are moments that promise a better movie. There is enough going on that MaXXXine feels like it is doing its own thing, more than a paint by numbers exercise like X. Mia Goth still shines but not as bright as in Pearl, far and away the best of Ti West’s “I’m a star” trilogy.