Review of the film: “MaXXXine” is a sleazy, incredibly sleazy great time, yet it scoffs at its most bold option
Through “MaXXXine,” Ti West comes closest to being really bold in his attempt to poke fun at the idea of the monster and the star being interchangeable.
By Sammie Purcell
Jul 05, 2024 10:00 AM
Ti West’s “X” trilogy has always been about films – creating movies while watching them, and then playing in them, and starring in. However, none of them is as connected to Hollywood mythology like “MaXXXine.”
West’s third film follows the films “X” and “Pearl,” but it’s an immediate sequel to the first film. It follows porn star Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) as she attempts to establish a name for herself in the 1980s of Hollywood. In the middle of the film the director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) is seen taking Maxine who is set to appear in the upcoming horror film of Bender and still afflicted by the farm slaughter she was able to escape during “X” – on a ride around the backlot of the studio. In “MaXXXine,” West doesn’t make any excuses about his love for the time period of Hollywood or the hazy, sleazy glamour of the 1980s B films, but her monologue when she takes Maxine on a drive begins to establish the bigger themes of the film.
As they walk through the parking lot, Bender speechifies about Hollywood’s hatred of genuine artists, and about her wish to create the “B movie with A movie ideas.” She tells Maxine that due to her porn background it was decided that the studio wouldn’t choose her to play the part and, in trying to figure out if Maxine has the skills to make it in an industry which doesn’t want her to be successful, she asks one basic question: Are your ruthless?
“MaXXXine” slots into that “B movie with A movie ideas” mold as one of the huge ideas is this ruthlessness that is a staple of our understanding of Hollywood. The film begins with two key quotes that are Maxine’s personal mantra through the entire film (“I will not settle for an existence I do not deserve”) as well as the other comes from Bette Davis”The Monster “In this business, until you’re known as a monster, you’re not a star.” Although “MaXXXine” is tremendous fun however, its major concepts are too amorphous and masked to find anything truly unique. But, West gets closest when he snarks about the notion of star and monster as being interchangeable.
“MaXXXine” picks up six years after “X,” smack dab right in the middle of all the wonderful things that the 1980s brought such as censorship, Satanic Panic, tirades against movies that exploited the public, and also the reign of serial murderer Richard Ramirez – better known as the Night Stalker. Maxine is still afflicted by her experiences in “X” at the hands of a murderous elderly couple (one of whose stories is revealed in the sequel to the trilogy, “Pearl”), however, she has managed to get to the spotlight with determination and confidence alone. As her star grows and she becomes more popular, someone who knows more about her background is lurking just around the corner, waiting to take her down and she’s not going down without fighting.
Although some of the concepts contained that are explored in “MaXXXine” don’t run too deep from a stylization perspective it’s fun. The style that director J.D. West along with Cinematographer Eliot Rockett bring to life is a blend of muted neons and glittery glamour and homages to horror films appearing all over the woodwork, ranging from Dario Argento all the way to Alfred Hitchcock. Everything from the setting decoration to the costumes of Marie-An-Ceo that are complete with sequins and acid wash and sequins – shouts out the flashy performance of the 1980s, only with a gritty underneath. “Fascinating that something can look so believable when in reality, it’s all a facade,” Bender declares when he drives through the studio’s parking lot. This quote is applicable to every frame in “MaXXXine,” the film intriguing mix of dark and captivating, the glamour only obscures the shadows beneath.
This could also be the case for Maxine herself. One of the most memorable scenes, “Welcome to the Pleasuredome” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood plays as Maxine with a crimped, teased hair, and an eye-catching pink stripe that is drawn across her eyes as if she’s a pro-wrestling king and entices a private detective who is on her trail (Kevin Bacon) by snatching a lightbulb from a strobe club. Even though she’s still haunted by the horrors she was through as a character in “X,” Maxine is not content playing the role of a delicate flower and is adamant to take pleasure the thrill of a little violence whenever it’s appropriate for her. When she is successful in her audition, she parades through another group of hopefuls and tells them they should go home. If an impersonator of Buster Keaton impersonator follows her in a alleyway with ill intentions, she allows him to think she’s got her in the corner before taking his bluff literally.
Maxine’s perspective on the world is the same regardless of circumstance – whether you’re aiming for a film role, or are dealing with an unsavory person, it’s all a woman to herself. When the people around her are found dead and dead, the detectives Williams along with Torres (Michelle Monaghan as well as Bobby Cannavale) try to influence Maxine to help in the investigation. The two detectives appear acting in their own version an action film about cops with Cannavale portraying a masculine bravado, while Monaghan portrays the role of an unattractive female officer who is traumatized by the violent nature of her work. In one scene, Williams pleads with Maxine to tell her that with her help they could be able to save a girl from being killed from being killed. “Maybe she should save herself,” Maxine says in a snarky tone.
It’s an incredibly bold idea to have a female lead who has suffered trauma, but does not let it affect the character in any manner, and refuses to allow it to transform her into an innocent or a hero. The application of uncompromising ambition you see when we read Hollywood movies to Maxine’s method of combating violence is an intriguing approach to making an American-made horror film and bringing the life of that Bette Davis quote which opens the film.
Unfortunately when “MaXXXine” nears its end, West hedges on that decision. Maxine may not wish to be seen in the role of a victim, or hero, but in the 3rd act, the movie decides for her. In the end, night, “MaXXXine” is unwilling to let its protagonist be 100 percent ruthless or wrestle with the implications should she choose to be.