MaXXXine

MaXXXine is the third part of Ti West's X horror trilogy and sees Mia Goth return as Maxine Minx from the first movie. Now set in 1985, Maxine has found success as a porn actress since the events of 1979 and auditions for and manages to grab the lead in a horror sequel. All the while, Los Angeles is terrorized by a serial killer targeting provocative women who sets its sight on Maxine while she's also being investigated by a mysterious private investigator. What makes this movie, and the trilogy as a whole, so unique is how much West managed to make each movie unique and capturing different aspects of horror over the decades. This entry goes for a slasher vibe similar to the first entry but with the stylistic violence of a giallo film with the aesthetic, mood, and feeling of a neo-noir similarly to those of Brian de Palma. Ti's direction and writing is spot on, capturing great moments of absolute terror while having smaller light moments that balance the horror and drama well. The characters are well defined, the pacing is brisk thanks to West also editing, and the reveals at the end are well done. Eliot Rockett's cinematography and Tyler Bates's scoring really do capture the grunginess and paranoia of the 80s. Much like the last two films, Goth not only gives a strong performance but also shows why her character should be seen as some of the most iconic in horror alongside Laurie Strode and Sidney Prescott. The rest of the cast also manages to stand out thanks to the writing and their performances, with special mention going to Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, and Lily Collins. Whether or not Ti West decides to follow up on MaXXXine, it'll definitely won't be easy to try to top it. Over all: 100%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

3. A Quiet Place: Day One

4. Inside Out 2

5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

6. The Fall Guy

7. MaXXXine

8. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

9. Abigail

10. Monkey Man

11. Late Night with the Devil

12. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

13. The Book of Clarence

14. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

15. Drive-Away Dolls

16. Kung Fu Panda 4

17. Lisa Frankenstein

18. Argylle

19. Mean Girls 2024