In the neon-lit chaos of 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx lands her big break. Yet, as a shadowy killer prowls the glittering streets, targeting starlets, a trail of blood threatens to unearth her dark and sinister past.
Director/writer Ti West delivers what The House of the Devil and X were to the 70s, MaXXXine is an ode to the horror and suspense slashers of the 1980s.
West’s love letter to Hollywood, along with Eliot Rockett’s cinematography, expertly captures the 1980s and offers a fantastic production where tension benefits from the on-location feel against the backdrop of the hunt for the very real Night Stalker.
Mia Goth is outstanding once again in the lead role. The supporting cast, including Moses Sumney as video store worker Leon, Elizabeth Debicki, Sophie Thatcher, Lily Collins, vocalist Halsey as Tabby, and Simon Prast as a televangelist, are on top form. Notable performances come from Michelle Monaghan, Giancarlo Esposito, and a memorable Kevin Bacon. Goth oozes screen presence in this more lavish installment, simply shining.
It can be viewed as a stand-alone for casual horror viewers, in the vein of American Psycho, or as a sequel to its fantastic predecessors. Movie fans will enjoy the countless subtle and overt nods to cinema, from Friday the 13th; Avenging Angel and Ms. 45 to B-films like Sleepaway Camp and Italian slashers such as New York Ripper, to classics Death Wish, First Blood, and Chinatown. With great practical gore effects littered throughout and an emotion-stirring 80s soundtrack, the icing on the cake is Tyler Bates’ score.
West offers a neat artistic creation that puts the seedy underbelly of Hollywood front and center. It also serves as a moral tale with social awareness, highlighting how many people went missing on both the West (and East Coast), seemingly without anyone caring.
While West does not explicitly state or confirm it, there’s still a chance that Pearl and Maxine are connected by lineage. Nevertheless, it’s a perfect instalment to the trilogy.
Overall, with its mesmerising style, MaXXXine drives a survival knife through Hollywood’s heart; a must-see.
No comments:
Post a Comment