20 Mar X Review

X

dir. Ti West, starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Scott Mescudi, et. al

X, the new horror from A24 about the unforeseen perils of shooting an adult movie in a remote location, is the latest offering from writer/director Ti West. The year is 1979 and adult actress Maxine Minx (Goth) joins her boyfriend/producer Wayne, actors Bobby-Lynne and Jackson, and scant camera crew of two as they drive out to Houston, Texas to shoot a new movie at a farmhouse rented from an elderly couple, Howard and Pearl. While the atmosphere is one that’s mostly quiet, West weaves in currents of tension, mainly through the crew’s limited interaction with the old couple.

West’s decision to start at the aftermath of the slaughter and work his way back is by no means original but still incredibly effective, leaving the audience to wonder how in 24 hours will our characters get from a relatively serene road trip to chaos and madness. While the first act has its pacing issues (it takes a bit too long for events to turn disastrous), once things get rolling, the dominoes start falling. West crafts a story that rides the line between horrific and humorous as the characters get dispatched one by one. All the tropes of film are there: the overconfident producer, the cameraman taking the project far too seriously, the stars who know they’re stars, and the one unimpressed with it all. West seems to be poking a bit at the film industry with these characters and it’s clear the crew had a fun time making it. The main downfall of the movie is a subplot that, while having a mildly entertaining reveal at the film’s end, ultimately leads nowhere.

X is highlighted by a stellar ensemble cast, lead by Mia Goth in dual roles as both Maxine Minx and Pearl. With a stronger performance outside of the makeup than in, Goth’s Maxine is a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. Confident and assertive, Goth is clearly the frontrunner of the film as she commands the most screen time of the group. Inside of the old makeup that transforms Goth into nonagenarian Pearl, her performance diminishes, a combination of the makeup itself being lackluster and Goth’s inability to convincingly portray a character some 60 years her senior. Stephen Ure as Howard, Pearl’s husband, manages to convey the irascible old man a bit more convincingly, but in the end the makeup fails both of them. There’s a scene that makes it clear why West decided to age up his actors instead of casting age appropriate people but unfortunately the performances of both Goth and Ure suffer for it.

The rest of the cast serve their roles well. Martin Henderson as Wayne, the executive producer and brains behind the operation, is all charm and smiles throughout the movie. Reminiscent of a younger Kurt Russell, Henderson steals the show whenever he’s on screen, dispensing sage-like advice to any who’ll listen. Brittany Snow, best known for for her roles in the Pitch Perfect series, is also a standout as Bobby-Lynne, Wayne’s main starlet. Supremely confident in herself and her skills, Snow is a delight as Bobby-Lynne, having her best scenes when interacting with Mescudi. For his part, the rapper-turned-actor Scott Mescudi turns in a great performance as Jackson Hole, the male talent and boyfriend of Bobby-Lynn. As the sole African American in the group at a time where interracial relations were still heavily frowned upon, Mescudi’s Hole is the easily the coolest, most laid back and easygoing member of the bunch. Thanks to West’s writing and Cudi’s delivery, he’s the most likeable; instead of the announced prequel in the works centered on Pearl’s character, I’d much rather have a movie focused on Jackson during his Vietnam days.

Rounding out the principal cast is Jenna Ortega as Lorraine, the quiet boom mic operator. Initially serving as something of a mouthpiece for the more conservative members of the audience, Lorraine’s shy demeanor paints her as the standout, the oddball amongst the clan of freewheeling, free loving performers. Ortega delivers as the church mouse, but when things go from bad to worse, she kicks into another gear and becomes one of the superior members of the cast.

Written, directed, and produced by Ti West, X has his fingerprints and sensibility all over it. More strongly directed than it is written, the main fault of the film is in the story. The storytelling elements are strong, mixing the ingredients of tension and cheekiness, but the framework is weak. When compared with other slashers of its ilk, with Freddy Kreuger and Jason Vorhees, their motivations are pure and clear: vengeance and terror on those whom they perceived to have slighted them in the past. Here in X, there are no stated motivations behind our antagonist. Without that motivation, the killings become senseless fodder for the audience to sit through with no real payoff at the end. From a directing standpoint, West weaves a number of great visuals, guiding the audience’s eye and expectations towards any number of gruesome fatalities. With the knowledge that the actors and actresses involved would be shooting an adult film, West refrains from putting it all on screen; just enough is shown to give the audience and peek and he’s content to let our imaginations fill in the blanks.

Overall, X is a film that will suffice for fans of the horror genre as they continue to wait out the year until the September/October deluge. Clever bits and well timed jump scares work within the context of the movie, but the story itself lacks any overall punch, message, or theme. Just a little shy of two hours, this is a movie that’s great for a Friday night watch with drinks and friends. Fine performances from Mia Goth and Scott Mescudi, along with Ti West’s obvious love for throwback slasher movies makes the film a worthy enough entry into the genre. X is currently in theaters.

Review by Darryl Mansel