MaXXXine rounds out the iconic horror trilogy, following X and Pearl, with a suspenseful dark noir thriller. As we all know, Mia Goth is a star.
MaXXXine rounds out the iconic horror trilogy with a neo-noir, dark and gritty, mystery, rather than a straight up slasher. Mia Goth once again proves that she is a STAR (if you know, you know), and is joined by several welcome additions to the franchise including Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon, and Elizabeth Debicki.
In MaXXXine, we see Maxine Minx make her way to Hollywood in the 1980s. As fans of these films know, she wants nothing more than to be a star – and she will just about anything she has to in order to be one. With the Night Stalker on the loose, murdering young women, and someone threatening her big break, Maxine must take care of things before her past is exposed.
The previous installments of the trilogy are certainly more horror based than MaXXXine is. This time around fans get a dark, noir-style mystery, and it won’t be for everyone. The suspenseful moments are few and far between, even with two murderous stalkers on the loose, as the story focuses more on Maxine confronting her past.
That being said, this movie does not shy away from the bloody sequences. They are sprinkled throughout the movie, some being so graphic that viewers might have to turn away (especially male viewers). Still, MaXXXine is not nearly as gory as X and Pearl, but it does have its moments.
When it comes to the story, audiences will enjoy getting to spend time with Maxine as she works towards her big break. She is surrounded by interesting characters and, thanks to a great supporting cast, it is easy to love, or love to hate, them all. As for the mystery aspect, it is not as suspenseful or intriguing as one might hope, mainly because fans of the franchise are likely to know where things are heading before all is revealed.
Do You Need To Have Seen X & Pearl?
MaXXXine is the third film in a trilogy, so as expected, there are lots of callbacks to the previous two films, X and Pearl, that tie everything together. Do you NEED to see these two films to understand this one? The short answer is yes.
X released in March of 2022 and is the first film of the trilogy. It is intense, bloody, provocative, and a whole lot of fun. It would be nearly impossible to fully understand MaXXXine without watching X. Not only are there a lot of important references to the events of this movie, viewers who have not seen it will be waiting on the edge of their seats for an explination as to why Maxine is a survivor and what exactly happened that night… and they won’t get it. Because that is what went down in X.
Pearl came out in September of 2022 and is a prequel to X. Realistically, this movie is not necessary to watch prior to MaXXXine, although it does add a lot of context to X, allowing it to be more appreciated.
Overall Thoughts
X, Pearl, and MaXXXine come together to make an iconic horror trilogy that is likely to be long talked about. This third installment helps round out the story and delivers as happy an ending as one can expect. At times, it feels as if it is missing something, but overall, Maxine gets her time to shine, and is able to confront her past.
Even with MaXXXine being the weakest of the trilogy, it is still a stellar movie. The noir aspect brings something new to the franchise, while still offering up untold parts of the story that fans have been eagerly awaiting. Ti West has hinted at a possible fourth film, and while there are no details yet, there are a lot of places it can go from here.
One thing is for certain, Mia Goth is a STAR.. and we cannot wait to see what she does next.
NEXT: Kinds of Kindness Review: A Study Of Manipulation & Humanity
About MaXXXXine
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
MaXXXine comes to theaters on July 5th.
MaXXXine rounds out the iconic horror trilogy, following X and Pearl, with a suspenseful dark noir thriller. As we all know, Mia Goth is a star.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.