MaXXXine

Reveling in 80s style, writer/director Ti West completes his X series with MaXXXine featuring Mia Goth reprising her role from X. Having built up a name for herself as a pornstar, Maxine Minx finally gets her big break in an auteur's (Elizabeth Debicki) horror film but that's when her past comes to call in the form of a degenerate private investigator (Kevin Bacon) and his mysterious employer (Simon Prast) who know the secrets from Maxine's past she wants to stay buried.

Partly setting the mood, and partly as a misdirect, the film is set in Hollywood during the Night Stalker murders. After a couple of Maxine's friends turn up dead, a pair of local cops (Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale, in decidedly generic cop roles) begin questioning Maxine believing she knows more than she's telling. As for Maxine, she may not know the identity of the killer, but she certainly knows how to take care of herself... even if she may not be ready for what she finds.

Sticking to the form of the previous two movies, West mixes things up once again offer more of a psychological thriller for the third movie in the series. Just as stylish as Pearl, although in very different ways, West succeeds once again in exploring another variation of the horror genre by offering up a slow-burn thriller (with a bit of revenge porn thrown in as well).

The film isn't without issues as it starts off strong but loses some momentum in its final half-hour. I have mixed feelings about the somewhat anticlimactic reveal and final act whose events don't really make sense with those of the epilogue. That said, West certainly succeeds once more exploring Maxine's story with another stylish entry.

While events of X are noted, and may provide extra context to fans, you wouldn't have to seen either of the first two films to understand the story presented the third time around as West takes care to reintroduce Maxine to audiences through her audition and a brutal dark alley altercation with a man who chooses the wrong woman to stalk. The film also shows us that Maxine has done better than most in a Hollywood agent (Giancarlo Esposito) willing to go the extra mile for his clients.

Although West admitted he toyed with the idea of a fourth film, he's suggested MaXXXine to be a fitting end to the series. While the film is more of a mixed bag than either of the first two movies, I must admit I agree that it offers a suitable ending for both the character and series. Although, this being Hollywood, anything is possible.

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• Title: MaXXXine
• IMDb: link