Starting with the immensely entertaining one-two horror punch of ‘X’ and ‘Pearl’ in 2022, writer/director Ti West and actress Mia Goth, who’s also his creative partner for this series of films, bring their saga to a close (?) with ‘MaXXXine.’ If the first two movies were their odes to grimy 70s grind house and ‘Oz’ technicolor classics respectively, ‘MaXXXine’ is a full-on pastiche of 80s Hollywood sleaze noir. It fully commits to the look, music, feel, and unsettling tone of one of those films, complete with strobe-lit dance clubs and the raunchy nature of porn theaters and peep shows just out in the open. It’s definitely a vibe that’s not for everyone, although one has to admire West’s craft here, and audiences not averse to seeing this type of world on screen will be delighted.

The movie kicks off with a stage-setting sequence of real life events that occurred in Los Angeles circa 1985. The Night Stalker serial rapist/murderer is terrorizing the city, but Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx is unfazed. Those familiar with the character from ‘X’ know that she has gone through an extremely traumatic experience while attempting to guerilla shoot a porn movie at a Texas farm six years previously, in what has been deemed ‘The Texas Porno Massacre.’ Maxine, not unlike Pearl, the focal point of the movie bearing her name, also played by Goth, has a singular goal – to be a STAR. Up until this point, Maxine has become well known to a certain type of audience, but she aspires to move into mainstream Hollywood and gain widespread fame. This drive kicks off the movie ‘MaXXXine’ with a bravura casting scene where Maxine blows away her competition for a starring role in a horror sequel to be directed by Elizabeth Debicki’s auteur, Elizabeth Bender. She sees a kindred spirit in Maxine and defies her producers to cast an actress thus far regulated to the more lurid side of the entertainment business.

Unfortunately for Maxine, there are those at every turn managing to threaten her dreams whether intentionally or not. There are her coworkers in the sex trade (one played by Halsey) who just want her to join them at a party in the hills (which takes an ominous turn). Despite her director championing her for the starring role she has craved, she demands nothing less than total devotion. There’s a detective partnership played comically by Bobby Cannavale and sympathetically by Michelle Monaghan. Most sinisterly thwarting her goals (and her life) are a stalker shrouded in black leather and shadow, the private investigator (Kevin Bacon in full scuzzball mode and loving every second) he’s hired to locate her, and even a would-be predator who corners her in an alley (of course!). This stuff would be oh so obvious and contrived if not for the actors absolutely relishing the proceedings.

It’s difficult to judge “MaXXXine” either on its own or compared to its predecessors. It’s easier to consider it as a piece of a larger, original horror movie conceit from the minds of these creators. West has been carving his own little corner of the A24 horror beast that has been dominating the genre for a few years now, but this stuff is not what would be considered “elevated horror”, the silly qualifier placed on the work of Ari Aster and the like. With this quickly turned trilogy, he and his incredibly game star Goth have created something truly special, destined to be considered alongside its obvious influences from decades past . . .

Written & Directed By: Ti West

Rated: R

Running Time: 103 min.

* * * 1/2 (out of four stars) – OR – B+