Maxxxine- A Spooky Season Review
Ti West has finished the trilogy we never knew we needed. Honestly, I’m not even sure need is the right word, though I’m aware people love Pearl and X a lot more than i do, with those same fans having been hopeful Mia Goth would get an Oscar nomination for Pearl. The Oscars almost never nominate horror films, and even some of the films that might loosely qualify are pretty tame. Sure, there were nominations for The Sixth Sense, including Toni Collette, but when the Oscars were faced with watching her saw her own head off, they drew the line. Same with Jordan Peel’s follow up to Get Out. That was this weird cultural phenomenon, and honestly not that gory. But, Us was a bit weirder, and a bit more violent, and previous Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o was left out.
So, sorry Mia. Maybe some other film in a different genre. Actually, I wonder how she plays outside this genre, because she understands horror so well, can she work in a period drama? I don’t know. But, for the third film in this series, she is on display in a film that has a lot to say about the 80’s, and maybe not what you’d think. Mia’s sole survivor from the first movie, Maxine, is trying to make a name for herself as a real actress in Hollywood, really bringing the franchise full circle. She has to deal with a Night Stalker type serial killer in the background, religious fanatics, and the biting truth of Hollywood. Can Maxine move from porn to real film? Or, is she likely to end up in those weird 80’s sexual thriller movies that seemed to populate Showtime and Cinemax in the 80’s and 90’s.
Along for the ride are a variety of names that make sense, some that feel like surprising choices, but mostly casting missed the boat. Kevin Bacon, being that this is an 80’s movie is inspired. But, if Ti West really wanted to say something about the 80’s, he should ahve had those actors in this film reflecting on it, instead of Halsey, Michelle Monaghan, and Bobby Cannavale. this would have been an excellent film to revisit actors and actresses known for this period, and in particular, for the types of films Max is trying to avoid.
I think some people have been unfair here, because they loved X or Pearl like it was a Best Picture contender, and Maxxxine has a bigger cast, and some big names, and feels like it was more expensive. Even though the first film co-starred Jenna Ortega and Kid Cudi, it does feel like it has shed its bargain priced sheen for a higher budget, even if it hasn’t. that means, not all of the acting works. It becomes uneven, and West tries to balance the merging of ideas he’s set up in the previous two films with the third, and it ends up messy.
The religious zealot angle here just didn’t work for me, and some of the carnage if forced, and simply exists because West is in this genre. But, he would ahve been more successful sticking with his parallels drawn to the rise of erotic thrillers in the 80’s and 90’s, and worried less about whether or not his gore fans were satisfied. At the end of the day, the story matters more than how you incorporate brutal kills, and a film that felt like maybe it could have led to one big gory scene, is instead peppered with horror throughout. It never quite feels in the pocket.
I see what Ti wanted to do, and I see that the ingredients are mostly here, and that Mia goth is ready for this film. And, to be honest, I’m someone that thinks the previous two films were uneven as well. X might be my favorite of the three, but I’d say really they are all about the same. the audio description here is great, and even though I think West relies too much on shock factor in his gore, it certainly is described well. The final shot in this movie really stays with you, a lot like how people felt the ending to Pearl did.
There’s a better version of this I’m sure. Ti just needed perspective, beyond that of being part of a horror trilogy. The cost of stardom isn’t always your life, but Hollywood, the fans, and the critics all want their pound of flesh.
Final Grade: B-