X 2022 A Movie Review from a Film Enthusiast’s Perspective

The debut film in Ti West’s horror trilogy, X, has been well-received by audiences worldwide. Its prequel, Pearl, was released 6 months later in 2022, setting the stage for the climactic conclusion titled Maxxxine, slated for a February 2024 release to align with the established 6-month pattern. Both this movie and Pearl are currently available for streaming on Netflix in Australia and other leading digital film platforms. For more options to watch X, check the ReelGood.com Link.

We meet Maxxxine very closely after the religious massacre at a nearby farm as she travels with her filmmaker boyfriend Wayne to make a pornography flick. She is joined by Larraine, Bobby-Lynne, Jackson, and RJ as they travel to a place Wayne has rented from an elderly couple Howard and Pearl.

“Because it is possible to make a good dirty movie.”

Quote by RJ played by Owen Campbell

Character Development

Maxine Minx is played by Mia Goth who also plays Pearl, in the suitably named origin story. She also plays the elderly Pearl in a dual duty for the film. This doesn’t become noticeable unless you notice it. However, on the first watch, this filmmaking decision did complicate the story somewhat if you’re trying to connect the actress to her very different subsequent roles. This aspect doesn’t influence the narrative and Goth is superb in all the parts that she plays.

This could have very well just been another generic slasher. A group of teens arrives to make a movie at a remote farmhouse only to discover their hosts, Howard and Pearl have a long history of jealousy, killing, and the desire to be young again. With adjoining stories, however, the title is elevated to a new level of excellence and a cinema treasure trove of clues about where the story began and where it will evolve.

In the opening scene of X 2022, the camera comes in from behind the stable doors, exactly as it does in Pearl. The scene is set at the home of Pearl and Howard as a TV blurts the words of a fundamentalist Christian preacher (Maxxxine’s father.) Detectives and police arrive to sift through the aftermath.

The title then flashes backward to Maxine as she works as a stripper with dreams of being a star. In another similar vein, the film hones in on the elusive X-factor that Pearl was missing. Maxine has it, her boyfriend tells her.

X 2022 gets down and dirty with the cast, spending time getting to know the group and what they stand for. All of them, aside from Larraine (Jenna Ortega) fully aware of the plan to make something classy in the shape of a porno movie. Howard tells Wayne his wife organised the stay and soon enough, when the killing starts we gain some insight into how Pearl feels about still being on the farm as well as how gracefully she has aged. Between her jealousy and Howard’s penchant for not liking any of the group on his property, the bodies start hitting the floor in a regular succession of blood and gore.

Visual Effects In X

X stomps heavily into horror tropes and lays everything out before it happens. See that nail sticking out of the floor, that’s a sure thing. See that light in the weeds of the lake, you just know the alligator will be along shortly to sort that out. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Maxine is floating on her back in the middle of the river and an aerial shot shows how close the reptile is. Filled with tension but too early for a Maxine death scene, this still worked well as a nudge towards the potential of the setting in slashing the rest of the characters. And slash they do.

“I will not accept a life I do not deserve.”

Quote from Ti West’s horror trilogy

Can You Watch Ti West’s Horror Trilogy Out Of Order?

You can watch the first two films out of sequence. If a repeat viewing is something you’d like under your belt, I recommend it. Maxxxine’s narrative covers the time frame between the first two movies which in theory should fill in the gaps about what happened when Howard returned home from the war, if we’re lucky. If not, it will arrange itself into place following the sole survivor of the slaughter of her friends and what happens to Maxine Minx next.

It’s a film that aesthetically plants itself as a soft 70’s exploitation horror movie and never tries to pretend it’s something more. But as part of a trilogy where the story connects several persons of interest, the complete picture will surely be a triumph.

X is rated

4 Big Swinging packages out of 5

For an alternative view of this 2022 horror movie, Tina Kakadelis wasn’t as enthusiastic as we were, read her words here.

See that here for a full analysis of Pearl by Mother of Movies. For another great slasher horror movie, watch Final Destination 2000 next.

Watch the X Trailer