Julia X was recommended to Mother of Movies by a Facebook page I follow called Jay Vs. Horror. The page is dedicated to movie recommendations generally from platforms that show free films like TubiTV. In this instance, a solid B-Movie with unpredictable beats and an exciting storyline is the main reason this title might not get the attention it deserves. It’s also hard to talk about without spoiling its many twists and plot pivots.
Released in 2011, Julia X is directed by P.J. Pettiette and it’s the only film he has helmed. Preferring to shine his other talents in production and writing (Ed Wood, If I Die Before I Wake) Pettiette joined Matt Cunningham in scripting the storyline that evolves around two strangers who meet for a coffee shop date. Having been speaking to the Herculian stranger (Kevin Sorbo) on the internet, Julia (Valerie Azlynn) decides it’s time to meet.
They like each other and over coffee, Julia imagines a sexual misadventure in a nearby bathroom before scampering away so the stranger has something to chase. And chase he does, only for Julia it soon becomes a scenario she was not expecting. She discovers him inside her car waiting as she prepares to drive home.
I don’t even know your favorite color”
Quote from Julia X movie
Julia X is enjoyable and has all the right ingredients similar to that of a deconstructed slasher movie. You know the type where the story pours in loads of gruesome killings that happened in the past instead of one by one. An anti-Final Girl scenario. There is only one girl, and she starts running at the beginning of the film.
Another fearless serial killer looking for love in all the wrong places. He keeps breaking his toys and relies on a steady flow of replacements to fulfill his dark and twisted agenda.
This is a man who listens to The Carpenter’s “Close to You” on personal earbuds while torturing women. We know this because he treats all his misadventures like a date. Listen to the song on Spotify.
I assumed I was in for a female-forward revenge movie but Julia X has a measurable amount of unexpected turns.
The familiarity of an unhinged persona on the loose might be wearing thin, but with a double surprise ending, Julia X is the gift that keeps on giving.
We’ve seen the shadow of a story like this in plenty of bigger and better horror movies. But that doesn’t make this indie movie gem unwatchable.
Cinematography delivers, consistently ranging from impressive to satisfactory. The film sets stand out as the pinnacle of the viewing experience. In a scene from “Julia X,” the characters find themselves at a purportedly deserted house.
This sequence transforms the narrative, for a brief, intense interval, into a home invasion thriller, complete with a barrage of shattered windows. Before this scene, fog machines were hired in bulk to create a canoe chase in a swamp. This felt like a redundant choice but was still fun to watch.
Alongside the many windows that get smashed through and smashed into is a whole dollop of violence and torture. Plausibility waters down the violence. The fact most human people would be unable to withstand some of the assaults does cause a misdirection of focus. Julia X holds its own in spite of its flaws.
Depending on how you view it, the presence of only superficial characteristics will be a love or hate relationship. Mapped out by the use of denigrating dialogue that serves to convince you that this stranger is a bad, bad man. With the addition of endless on-screen punches to the face, starting a drinking game could be the first thing on your mind as you watch this man in action.
In the latter half, the taut horror film does gain traction. Unfortunately, it falls into an implausible and far-fetched arena. Luckily for Julia X 3D, its final moments tie it all together. Especially if a serial killer and slasher dynamic fused with the sentimentality of a movie like 2022’s “Fresh” floats your boat.
Watch it free on TubiTV and for more options follow the link to JustWatch.com. For a movie with a similar narrative to Fresh, watch Lowlifes next.
“Julia, you are a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad girl”
Quote from the Julia X movie
Julia X is rated
3 Sexual predators with a love for The Carpenters out of 5
Julia X Trailer
Julia X Movie Recommendations By Cinema Buffs - Mother of Movies
Director: P.J. Pettiette
Date Created: 2012-10-02 07:16
3
Pros
- Plenty of plot twists
- Loads of punches to the face
- Serial killer storyline
Cons
- Cheesy dialogue
- Incohesive narrative
