MaXXXine ★★★

“I will not accept a life I do not deserve.”

This is the mantra that guides Maxine Minx’s (Mia Goth) childhood. She has high aspirations, not too different from the murderous Pearl who massacred Minx’s friends in Texas. Years later, Minx finds herself in Los Angeles and is an adult film star who wishes to become a Hollywood actress. It’s the 80s and there’s a seedy feeling in the air with the serial killer Night Stalker on the loose and an overwhelming presence of anti-obscenity protests protesting sexual content and subversive media such as heavy metal music. This setting makes it appear as if Maxine is being hunted and when her pornographic film shot in Texas mysteriously resurfaces, this impression is warranted.

Maxine aims to put her traumatic past behind her, but this becomes impossible with horrific memories and the introduction of private investigator John Labat (Kevin Bacon) who has been hired by an unknown individual to find Maxine. Bacon is one of many A-list actors starring in MaXXXine who represent an accomplishment for director Ti West in casting and whose casting is testimony to the success of the X film series. Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, and Lily Collins also join MaXXXine, starring as a film director, Maxine’s agent, and a fellow actress, respectively. These actors add a bit of non-horror flavor to MaXXXine and their characters fit mostly seamlessly into Maxine’s story with the exception of Labat. Labat comes off as quirky but never menacing, distracting from the dangerous tone established in the film’s first act. Undoubtedly we’re curious who hired Labat, though Labat’s appearance isn’t a necessity for moving us closer to uncovering who is looking for Maxine and why she is in danger. Primarily, he distracts Maxine from her acting in the lead role of ‘The Puritan II’. Maxine believes the film could be her breakthrough role and propel her into Hollywood stardom, and must avoid any distractions.

MaXXXine builds to an ending fit for Hollywood, and themes of sin and retribution coalesce into the reason Maxine’s past is coming to haunt her. Many have found MaXXXine to be the least impressive entry in the X trilogy, perhaps for its dialed-down intensity and relatively minimal horror elements. Nonetheless, MaXXXine caps off an entertaining trilogy while offering homage to Hollywood and slasher films of the past. And with her performance in ‘The Puritan II’, I’d say Maxine ends up with a life I think she will be accepting of.