X (2022)

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Well, this wasn't the movie I expected.  It just ended up being the movie I wanted to see.

As described on the Internet, Ti West's X sounded like a basic horror film.  A group of Texan folks set out to shoot a pornographic film, only to run afoul of the people who's property they are using as a set.  Yeah, given that summery, I expected something akin to religious zealots going all Sawyer family on their sinning asses.

But West subverts all the troupes you'd expect from the tagline description of the plot and delivers a movie that expresses the joys, and heartbreak, of film making, and the desire to be famous and loved, while including some great homages to classic horror films.

 Oh yeah, we're gonna superstars, with one simple porn flick.  That's how it works.

Look, the plot is as simple as it sounds.  A group of people from a strip club decided to make a porno, as it's 1979 and the market was expanding for such films.  Everyone holds onto the idea that making the perfect porno is a stepping stone to mega stardom, from the producer Wayne (Martin Henderson) to director RJ (Owen Campbell).

Maxine Minx (Mia Goth; what a great name) seems content to snort coke and tag along, though she harbors the same ambitions as the others.  They pull up to the farm of elderly couple Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Mia Goth, in an AMAZING double role), where Wayne has rented out a farmhouse to film his porno, unknown to the owners.  Things start going wacky as Pearl tells Maxine she envies her youth, and makes some sexual advances towards her.  Left unsatisfied, Pearl tries to have sex with Howard, only to have him refuse due to his weak heart.

And this is when I realized this film was going places I didn't expect.  Which is good, as it would have been boring if West had followed the troupes of a standard slasher flick.

RJ becomes upset when he has to film his girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) wants to be in the film.  He shoots the scene, but decides to leave the others later that night.  Of course, he runs into Pearl, fresh off her rejection from Howard, and when her attempt to seduce him fails, she stabs him in the neck in a very grisly scene.

 And, as expected, mayhem ensues.

 Crazy old lady with a pitchfork means trouble, no matter the setting.

As I mentioned earlier, I expected the story to be a bit more simple.  Porn film makers meeting up with a elderly couple in Texas sets up certain expectations.  But I was wrong.  West uses the film to explore the joys and heartbreak of making a movie, and the reality of trying to make yourself a star.  We learn Pearl had hopes of being someone loved by the masses, yet failed for reasons I expect to be explored in the prequel Pearl (shot at the same time as X, and is in theaters at the time I'm writing this review).  Having Mia Goth play both Maxine and Pearl (hinted at with photos) cements the idea that fame and adoration is a tricky path that might not bring about your attended results. 

And West stirs the pot with shots homages to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Shining, and Eaten Alive (yeah, the gator-ex-machina moment is pretty silly, despite being set up earlier), but the film managed to make those moments feel fresh.  It's a bold statement on how some moments resonate with audiences, while others don't, making the film unique in that it celebrates those failures from previous films.

 If you're a horror fan, you'll know what film West was channeling. 

And the cast is fantastic.   Goth is amazing in her duel role, but the rest of the cast delivers stellar performances.  Sure, based on their actions, you know who's going to die.  But their performances make you want to see them make it to the end of the film.

And I will say, without spoiling it, the ending was perfect.  I laughed out loud as the final scene in the film cut to the credits, which made me thankful I saw it on home video.  No, scratch that, it was a perfect joke to end the film on, and anyone in a theater who didn't at least chuckle didn't get it.  Thinking about it, I'd have been proud to laugh in a theater. 

X is a solid, slow burn horror film, with the first kill happening about an hour into the running time.   But, if you can tolerate the slow pace, you'll be rewarded with a film that tells much more about making a movie, and the expectations of fame, than you'll expect.  And it's a damn fine slasher film as well

This script feels pretty thick for a porno.