In 2022,  Ti West's Pearl, the second part of the trilogy that began with X, was undoubtedly a film in line with the director's work up to that point. An extended homage which beat its audience over the head with its fairly obvious meaning, West's use of a colourful ‘50s-‘60s visual style at least loaned that film a thin sense of identity. He may have had to borrow that style from cinema's past, but its re-application did feel reasonably fresh when placed atop a character-centric tragedy rather than your typical throwback musical. That, alongside a memorable, dedicated performance from Mia Goth, elevated Pearl enough to make it passable.

MaXXXine, the conclusion of the X trilogy, is another work of pastiche. This time, rather than borrowing from ‘70s grindhouse horror or ‘60s Hollywood musicals, West leans into Italy's well known giallo sub-genre, taking the neon-soaked image of a leather-gloved stalker/killer and the structure of a police investigation as Goth reprises her role as eponymous Maxine Minx.

West reintroduces the ambitious anti-hero as she attemptis to make the difficult transition from a porn actress into a fully fledged Hollywood star. Auditioning for a controversial horror sequel, itself the cause for protests regarding video nasties and censorship of explicit art/entertainment, Minx surprises the film's director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) with her intense, emotive acting. However, the actress's past (seen in this film's two predecessors) is catching up with her… as is a mysterious killer.

MaXXXine is, unfortunately, something of an overstudied mess. While appearing to want to be spontaneous and surprising at the same time as honouring the splattery fun of ‘80s low budget horror movies, West cannot help but fall into familiar patterns and over-focus on attempting to capture the feel of the 1980s. It is in some ways an admirable problem to have, as West's passion for the films he is homaging is made clear, but this series of nods and winks to films of a bygone era winds up lacking an identity of its own and fails to utilise this focus on the past to speak to that era either in and of itself or in contrast with the present. The attempts to evoke the 1980s feel quite clumsy at times, clunkily introduced through radio voiceovers or the font for the opening credits in ways that feel quietly desperate rather than thoughtfully constructed.

Goth's performance helps with this to a certain degree, as do the various appearances from a number of quality actors. The aforementioned Elizabeth Debicki is good as a toughened film director, ruthless in her efforts to turn herself into a cinematic artist, and appearances from Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito and Bobby Cannavale are strong, too. The cast is expansive to the point that some members are inevitably wasted, but this isn't necessarily a problem so much as just a small disappointment.

It is Goth's titular character who allows the film to function as entertainment, with viewers compelled by her intensity and the uneasy feeling that she is always on the verge of violence herself. Maxine is a quality character placed into a mediocre film which has little to say throughout its disappointingly predictable story. Largely thanks to Goth's performance, Maxine is fascinating and entertaining, edgy and sometimes sympathetic. MaXXXine, as a whole, isn't. But Second Sight's 4K release of the film is pleasingly packed with interviews, special features and a lengthy booklet appropriate for those who are fans of the film and of West's trilogy as a whole.

MaXXXine 4K Ultra HD Special Features 

• Presented in HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
• New audio commentary commentary by Bill Ackerman & Amanda Reyes
• Back to the Blank Page: a new interview with Director Ti West
• Money on the Screen: a new interview with Producer Jacob Jaffke
• B-Movie Aesthetic: a new interview with Director of Photography Eliot Rockett
• Curating Space: a new audio interview with Production Designer Jason Kisvarday
• The Whole World's Gonna Know My Name: Kat Hughes on MaXXXine
• The Belly of the Beast
• XXX Marks the Spot
• Hollywood is a Killer
• Q&A with Ti West
  

Limited Edition Contents

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by OC Agency Group
• 120-page book with new essays by Reyna Cervantes, Sarah Miles, Sam Moore, James Rose, Rebecca Sayce and Michelle Swope
• 6 collectors' art cards

MaXXXine will be released on Limited Edition 4K by Second Sight Films on 17 November

Podcast