I have been looking forward to catching the third part of Ti West’s horror trilogy that started with X and continued with Pearl, which followed the life of wannabe star Maxine Minx (nee Miller). The films have been far more than just generic horrors; they examine fame and the lengths people will go to get famous. This new film, MaXXXine, follows Maxine into 1985, and while filling it with actors you will know and a story which captures the mood and the events of the time, it’s a shame that this is the weakest of the three films. Having said that, it’s still great value.

Maxine Minx wants to move away from the porn industry and into mainstream movies. She lands the lead in a horror film that, if she listens to her director, Elizabeth Becker, will make her a star. However, with the notorious serial killer The Night Stalker on the prowl and Maxine being pursued by a creepy private investigator, her time for stardom might be more complicated than she expected.

Ti West’s films have perfectly captured the time of the settings. X was a celebration of not only of the cheap 70s porn industry but a drop of the cap to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the way that classic was filmed, all sleazy and unsettlingly. He then gave us the prequel, Pearl, a tale of the early days of a young farmer’s girl and her missed opportunities in life. With the 80s being the setting, West magnificently captures the style of filming you’d expect from that period. If you were shown a film of that time, you’d immediately know it was from the 80s just from the colours, the way the camera and editing works. West gets it.

He also loves cinema, and here, he throws references here, there, and everywhere. None more so than the scene at the Bates Motel—not the original but the one built for Psycho II. It’s a dangerous thing to do, as we’d expect something we actually never get. The neon lights of the sex-filled Sunset Strip are brilliantly captured, and the use of needle drops works well with the context of the story. This could be a film made in the 80s.

The problem lies in the story. We never feel any real peril for Maxine. She is the target of someone terrible, and we must wait until the final act to find out. It does have a Scooby-Doo feel about the whole thing. Maxine is connected to the victims of the various murders, and some may find that most of the deaths occur off-screen, but when we finally connect the dots to who is trying to ruin Maxine’s world, it does come as a bit of a disappointment.

The deaths we see on-screen are well executed, and one particular scene will have you squirming in your seat. However, West seems not interested in showing blood-soaked deaths; it is more about this woman who will do anything to find fame. There’s also an exciting sideline about the protests of Satanic attitudes in entertainment when parents tried to protect their siblings from the likes of Prince and Twisted Sister for the contents of their albums. This gives the film an exciting slant in horror films.

The cast is all in fine form, with Kevin Bacon as the detective chewing the scenery and spitting it out. He seems to have the time of his life in his linen suit and greasy hair. Elizabeth Debricki is a severe and relaxed director who wants to guide Maxine’s career, and it’s a shame that Lily Collins and Hasley are given too brief scenes. However, at the film’s heart is Mia Goth, who is Maxine. She has grown into an outstanding actress, mainly from these films. She is a far more confident woman who refuses to take anything from anyone. She proves this when faced with a mugger in an alleyway, where she takes on the male with the toughness you’d expect from someone like Charles Bronson. She doesn’t have her Pearl moment when, at the end of the film, she is likely to smile throughout the credits, but she is an incredibly watchable new star who has done precisely what Maxine wants.

MaXXXine may not have the power of the previous films, and the ending is a little of a damp squib, yet it is still hugely entertaining and proof that horror doesn’t have to be all blood and guts. Plus, it has Mia Goth and Kevin Bacon running through the sets of Universal, which is worth watching alone.

4 out of 5

Director: Ti West

Starring: Mia Goth, Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debricki, Giancarlo Esposito, Halsey, Moses Sumney, Lily Collins, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale

Written by: Ti West

Running Time: 103 mins

Cert: 18

Release date: 5th July 2024