41/22
on this film)
Synopsis
In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make a coming-of-age film on a rural Texas farm, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the crew finds themselves fighting for their lives. X The Next Day (2022) ) South by Southwest premiere writer/director Ti West revealed that he wrote the prequel Pearl (2022) during his mandatory two-week COVID-19 quarantine at his New Zealand hotel before production could begin. A24 saw the script and greenlit the film before production on “X” had wrapped. He asked star Mia Goth if she wanted to stay in New Zealand and film “Pearl,” and she readily agreed. The prequel was later released in 2022.
Edited by MaXXXine (2024)
When Lorraine enters the basement and turns on the light, it’s a modern halogen bulb. The title doesn’t even appear onscreen until the end. Act Naturally Performed by Loretta Lynn Written by Vonie Morrison, Johnny Russell, courtesy of Geffen Records, licensed to Universal Music Enterprises. West’s film is truly "E" elevated. It positions itself as a clever take on the slasher films of the 70s and early 80s.
Writer-director West’s main idea here is to contrast the XXX filmmakers with the Bible-stomping civilians
As a bonus, the film within the film is an "elevated" porn film (as a bonus, actor Owen Campbell, who plays the “director”, looks a little like director Tobe Hooper). Quite deliberately based on Tobe Hooper’s 1974 TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, X follows a group of pornographers who rent a farmhouse from an elderly couple in the middle of nowhere in Texas (actually New Zealand). It’s not an uninteresting idea, of course, playing on the puritanical cliché of yesteryear slasher films, where the most sexually active characters are the ones most likely to die. In addition to MASSACRE, West has also made nods to FRIDAY THE 13TH, Hooper’s EATEN ALIVE, and a very specific one to HALLOWEEN. X takes place about 5 years after MASSACRE, so it could include a brief discussion about how adult films on VHS would change the porn industry, with the group having about 3 years of horror ahead of them.
As good as the filmmaking is, X feels too schooled
Mia Goth (in a double role; actually a threesome if you stick around after the credits) and Brittany Snow are the two porn stars who dive in with gusto. Kid Cudi is the cocky stud, while Martin Henderson is the confident Producer. Jenna Ortega is the "crew" all because of her loneliness (she managed to wear her clothes – she must have a better agent). Stephen Ure is the cranky old man who rents out his guesthouse. The pacing is mournful even as it ramps up towards the very end.
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When the carnage begins (if not with power tools), it still feels fairly typical of the films it’s commenting on, no matter how well-done and “elevated” it is; it thinks it is. It’s also too drawn out to be content with a few gore-dogs, and if the blood starts flowing, it’s probably too gross for the internet scribes who dream of writing extensive online essays dissecting it for its heightened intellect. Ultimately, it’s not as smart as West thinks it is, and despite some good direction and acting, it’s simply too self-conscious to be a very entertaining thrill ride. A24 has produced some of the most memorable horror films of the 21st century.
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