X: THIS FILM IS A LOT

 This review was originally posted to Letterboxd on March 17, 2022.

Mia Goth stars as Maxine, an exotic dancer convinced she has the "X" factor. Wayne (Martin Henderson, from ‘The Ring’ remake), her sleazy boyfriend and owner of the club she works at, agrees and is financing a low budget adult film starring her. With aspiring filmmaker RJ (Owen Campbell) directing, RJ’s gf Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) doing sound, and enthusiastic actors Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson (Kid Cudi) cast in the remaining roles, everything is go for filming.

The proprietors of the farmhouse where the gang is filming (Pearl, also played by Mia Goth, and Howard, played by Stephen Ure) are an ancient, creepy couple. Howard greets the gang with a shotgun and a general hostility. Pearl hovers around the periphery, goggling Maxine. Unfortunately for everyone, it seems Maxine really does have that "X" factor as her youth and vitality sparks something horrific in Pearl, and a bloodbath ensues.

X is a film that has A LOT to say. There are different perspectives/commentaries/reactions  on/to porn and the porno industry that are presented, as well as an affecting look at beauty aged well past it's prime and how that beauty reacts to a more youthful one not unlike that which Pearl used to possess. X does fall prey to Gerontophobia (fear of the elderly) and the exploitation of such, though it does its best to paint Pearl in a sympathetic, sad light before she goes bananas (an effort that does not go unnoticed).

Ti West directs and this is likely his best film yet. He successfully juggles a mountain of material as well as a run time that clocks in at under 105 minutes. Some moments and jokes are a little too on the nose (a character, completely alone, turns on the radio only for it to start playing Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear The Reaper'. Gee, I wonder what's going to happen next), but West manages to balance a mostly silly tone with moments of genuine horror and tension.

X, like most A24 horror films, is consistently visually appealing. The cinematography by Eliot Rockett is simply stellar, and perfectly recaptures the look and feel of a 70s flick (Aesthetically, X is most clearly influenced by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre). For example: The opening shot appears to be in an older/smaller aspect ratio similar to films of the 70s. As the camera slowly zooms in, it's revealed that the shot was framed within two barn doors, mimicking a different aspect ratio. 

The cast gathered this time is pretty solid ( despite most of them falling prey to Stupid White Person Syndrome, even Kid Cudi). It's nice to see Jenna Ortega in another horror film, even if she doesn't get much focus or screen time. Mia Goth is the sun everything orbits around in this flick, though. Her dual performances as Pearl and Maxine are superb (She is unrecognizable as Pearl). 

The characters of Pearl and Maxine are mirrors of each other, and it's through Pearl that a religious perspective is explored. Maxine, on the other hand, is fierce and free-willed. It’s not hard to see her being a positive role model for women as she has taken control of her own body, knows what she wants, goes for it, and won’t settle for anything less. As for supporting roles, James Gaylyn manages to make his three brief scenes count as the befuddled Sheriff who’s trying to make sense of the aftermath. 

X is a film that knows what it is (as can be evidenced by it's final, perfect line), and it's not afraid to be a little self-aware/meta. It’s often pretty clever, smart, and funny. There is little carnage during the first act or so, but when Pearl gets the bloodlust there is A LOT of the red, gooey stuff.  This is a movie about the filming of a porno, so you can expect a good deal of nudity and sex (the ladies get the silhouette of Kid Cudi’s dick), but smut this is not. 

In the end, X makes for a very fun, very gory horror flick that has a lot to say about porn, the reactions to it, as well as the reactions to youth and beauty. It will likely take several viewings to fully process it’s numerous themes, making X yet another A24 horror flick that is worth a watch (or several).

4 STARS