Maxxxine tries and fails to be like Giallo films that heavily inspired it. 

Review by Christian Hernandez

As one of X and Pearl’s biggest defenders, the third installment in the X franchise is easily the weakest entry. While Ti West’s work has always been heavily inspired by cinema before him, this one is the biggest offender of it, constantly reminding me of Giallo-era works and making me wish I was watching those instead. Maxxxine feels like it tries to match the style but falls extremely short in its substance. 

The film follows Maxine Minx, years after the events of the first film unfolded, with the adult film star trying to get her break into the Hollywood business while a killer is on the loose and haunting her with the secrets of her past. The premise itself sounds great on paper and I’m sure it read well too, but the final product is a disjointed mess, presenting new threads and characters and doing absolutely nothing with them. Plot lines go nowhere, characters feel flat and one-dimensional, performances feel held back, and the pacing ultimately hinders the movie from reaching any of its potential. 

As mentioned before, the film does have style, with great insert shots during kills, feeling very cheesy and B-Movie-esque, but it tries to present it in an A-Movie, and it just doesn’t work for me at all. During the “kills”, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at them, feeling unsatisfied at it all. 

Mia Goth gave an incredible performance in Pearl, so to follow this up with a really restricted and boring performance, it felt very phoned in. It doesn’t help that the script did her no favors, and she’s clearly trying her best and having a good time, but the choices made don’t work for the film. 

The film’s biggest grievance is its pacing, with the first two acts attempting to tell some kind of cohesive and meaningful story, which ultimately all goes to trash with its horrible third act. I can’t think of the last time a final act has made me so upset, especially with the lackluster reveal of the killer. I couldn’t wrap my head around the decisions made throughout this. 

There are attempts in the film to have some sort of message in the film, but again, it’s simply presented in a surface-level manner and then it goes nowhere with it. Themes of exploitation and creative freedom are there, but it’s so shallow that you’d be better off stepping foot in a puddle if you want something deep. 

Unfortunately, the latest entry in the X franchise is a lackluster and disjointed mess, which will leave fans of the films scratching their heads, wondering what they just watched.