On the bill this Friday, the horror film MaXXXine (VF) was one of the most anticipated films of the year. Why? Because this last part of the trilogy imagined by filmmaker Ti West and actress Mia Goth, started with Xcontinued with Pearlhas aroused the enthusiasm of horror moviegoers as much as that of critics – including generalists, usually resistant to this genre. We are therefore in the presence of an unusual case.
Historically, indeed, if there is a genre snubbed by classical criticism, it is horror (the romantic comedy, willingly despised, follows closely). For a glowing reception upon release, it is generally necessary for a “respected” filmmaker to be at the helm of the project; a filmmaker who has made his reputation outside of said genre, like William Friedkin (The Exorcist/The Exorcist) or Stanley Kubrick (The Shining/Shining the child of light). It is then possible to cry genius without fearing opprobrium.
In recent years, a new name, “ elevated horror “, or “elevated horror” (or even “enhanced”, take your pick), was invented to justify the critical enthusiasm surrounding a new wave of young filmmakers too obviously gifted to be ignored, despite their horror connections. A lover of horror films since early childhood, I see it as a gimmick simply aimed at making oneself believe that one is oneself “above” the masses fond of ordinary horror or, well, “badly” brought up horror.
Long aside to clarify that Ti West is part of this hypertalented cohort (with Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, Jennifer Kent, Rose Glass, among others) of filmmakers who emerged between 2010 and 2020 approximately. From his third feature film, House of the Devila “serious” pastiche of a 1980s horror film that was truer than true, West stood out for his understanding of the genre’s codes, his knowledge of the genre’s history, as well as his ability to merge it all into a playful film that worked as much on the first or second degree, depending on the cinephile’s background.
Fabulous Mia Goth
This mastery was visible in every development, and in every plan, of his ambitious X. Camped in 1979, X fueled by references to the poorly licked horror films of the 1970s, starting with Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Chainsaw Massacre), by Tobe Hooper.
It follows a crew who come to shoot a porn film on an isolated farm, unbeknownst to the elderly couple who rented them the buildings. The fabulous Mia Goth (Infinity Pool/Overflow) plays in turn Maxine Minx, a young actress determined to become a star, and, under elaborate aging makeup, the mistress of the house, Pearl, mortally envious. In the prequel Pearl (co-written by West and Goth), we discover the bloody youth of the eponymous character, around 1917, on the said farm: Pearl, too, wanted more than anything to become a star…
In MaXXXinewe find Maxine Minx (still Mia Goth, no longer co-writer but producer) in 1985, on the way to realizing her dream. In fact, the young woman can say goodbye to butt movies, since she has just landed the lead role in the sequel to a popular horror film, not without being asked to show her breasts in an audition (the “meta-joke” being that West and Goth do not show anything in “their” film, in a snub to the sexism of the industry).
So close to the goal, Maxine has everything to lose. Hence her annoyance when Labat, a private detective (Kevin Bacon, with perfect viscosity) working for a mysterious client (whose identity is too easy to guess given the final revelation of X), comes with evidence of his presence on the “bloody farm” six years earlier.
The “oumph” minus
The sequel, unfortunately, turns out to be a bit disappointing on the narrative level, compared to what came before. There are many good ideas, but these too often remain unfinished.
We think of the tribute to Psycho (Psychosisto which Ti West already gave a nod in X), while Labat chases Maxine across the vast studio grounds: arriving at the iconic set of Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Maxine locks herself in the “Bates house”, with Labat hot on her heels…
But, as movie buffs know, in Psychothe character of the private detective meets a macabre end in these places. In short, the mise en abyme continues… before ending with the last-minute departure of Labat, in a kind of interrupted meta-narrative coitus.
This passage is representative of the entire film, in that MaXXXine constantly promises to reconnect with the playful panache of X and the baroque madness of Pearlbefore being limited to simply being… very good.
On the other hand, on the technical level, West seems to have had more means at his disposal and uses them wisely – his virtuosity is real. As the action takes place in the mid-1980s, the filmmaker-cinephile this time summons Brian De Palma (Dressed to Kill/Impulses And Body Doublein particular). The murderer dressed all in black, from gloves to hat to raincoat, is on the other hand straight out of a yellow retro (the killer of Six women for the assassinby Mario Bava, clearly served as a model).
The aesthetic is mainly intended to be evocative of that of horror films produced directly for the video market, which was flourishing at the time.
Except that West has already tried this type of stylistic exercise, better, and with a fraction of the money, in House of the Devilwhich remains a small masterstroke. Moreover, the inclusion in the plot of MaXXXine of satanic motives (no spoiler) reinforces the memory of this first real success, and it is in this case to the detriment of this new attempt.
In short, for what it is, MaXXXine is a good — sometimes very good — horror film that continues in the meta vein dear to Ti West. Except that the “oumph” factor, abundant in X and in Pearlis absent here.