MaXXXine

For all the clutter, there’s nothing as fun as X’s mechanical alligator jump scares or Pearl’s scarecrow humping. And then there’s the problematic big reveal. We won’t spoil it: we’ll leave you to experience the jump-the-shark moment for yourself.

I like this series so much as a commentary on the artificiality of Hollywood... Terrific fun.

MaXXXine’s resolution is merely predictable—and disappointing given the larger intimations of some grand narrative design.

The plot moves from suspense to slash and shoot, and when the twist comes it’s a bit predictable.

I think my answer is [that] X and Pearl are B+ movies with B+ ideas… and MaXXXine is the first one that feels like it’s straining.

With a rollicking soundtrack full of ’80s faves like Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ZZ Top, bold, fluorescent sets and Hollywood locations and outsized performances, Maxxxine wraps up West’s trilogy in killer style.

There are some great performances, some stand out scenes, excellent music, and it all moves at a clip. But no artist should be aiming for “fine enough” (and, in fact, few artists do) and it’s hard not to mourn the wasted potential in West’s film.

When so many modern horror films often find themselves afraid of pushing barriers to avoid being labeled as exploitative, either with violence or subject matter, MaXXXine proves that you can do so in a way that brings out something valuable in the genre.

While MaXXXine is more flawed than its predecessors, it’s still an engaging, over-the-top, of-the-era stab at horror, and marks an overall triumph of filmmaking by West who, like his on-screen star, has finally cracked Hollywood.

West and Goth reissue their ideology in which cinema once again acts as a medium and a message at the same time. [Full review in Spanish]