Jacked In Reviews ‘MaXXXine’ (2024)

We first dropped down into the the late seventies with Ti West’s X, before journeying back to 1918 to see the psychotic Pearl in her “prime”. Now, West takes us to 1985, six years after the first instalment to join our sole survivor, MaXXXine Minx (Mia Goth) living in Hollywood.

Maxine is the sass to Pearl’s psycho.

Although Goth has been with us since day dot, this is only our second encounter with Maxine. Following her horrendous ordeal, we are reintroduced to the character as she auditions for a (horror) movie, in a bid to get out of the adult entertainment business. After absolutely smashing it, she tells the rest of the auditioners “Y’all might as well go home ’cause I just fucking nailed that” and proves Maxine is the sass to Pearl’s psycho.

Unfortunately for Maxine, she just can’t escape her rotten luck and a new serial killer is on the scene in the form of The Night Stalker. A brilliant addition to the cast sees Kevin Bacon, an absolute veteran who lived (and died) through ’80s horror as the superbly slimy private detective, John Labat.

Even though this chapter is more closely tied to the events of X, as nightfall casts that infamous red and blue lighting, our suspicions are confirmed. Much like West did with X, shooting it like a ’70s horror à la Texas Chainsaw and giving Pearl a technicolour pop – like a twisted Wizard of Oz – stylistically it is crystal clear he has changed pace once again and we’re now in the eighties.

It’s absolute ball-stomping enjoyment and does some serious justice for the infamous decade associated with the genre.

It can be said there was a more unsettling undertone and rawness when it came to horror in the late seventies but the eighties had a lot more “fun” – and that’s certainly the case here. It’s absolute ball-stomping enjoyment and does some serious justice for the infamous decade associated with the genre. As well as the fashion, music and gore, it just stinks of effort from head to toe. Laced with nods throughout (from Hammer Horror to Bates Motel), in a time where retro nostalgia is being done to death (pun definitely intended), it’s nice to see that fresh approaches are still achievable. It’s a divinely layered homage to ’80s horror movies, with a film about… the making of an ’80s horror film. Not to mention masterfully executed from a technical standpoint, using all the equipment from the decade it’s set to shoot this feature.

Maxine may not be as intense as Pearl but she is just as much of a treat to watch and it’s all thanks to Goth who is truly a “fucking movie star”.

It might be more entertaining to fans of the notorious horror decade and compared to its predecessors, MaXXXine’s antagonist does fall slightly short (although we still had Goth, Pearl was definitely a miss). Maxine may not be as intense as Pearl but she is just as much of a treat to watch and it’s all thanks to Goth who is truly a “fucking movie star”.

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