Movie Review: X (R)
At the surface, Ti West’s new slice of horror, “X,” is what the marketing campaign makes it look like; A shocking fusion of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Boogie Nights” with a splash of “The Visit” thrown in for good measure. But make no mistakes. This is still very much a Ti West movie meaning that even though there are shades of the familiar, you can certainly expect spontaneous detours into the unexpected. I’ll tread lightly here so as to not spoil some of the bigger (and crazier) elements of the plot because the trailer and other reviews have done enough of that.
“X” takes place in 1979 and finds an energetic group of filmmakers renting a rural Texas ranch guest house where they plan to shoot an adult movie! The proceedings start out relatively smooth, but then, things progressively get a little more sinister and before long, this ragtag team of aspiring storytellers find themselves up against a most unexpected pair of foes.
Ultimately, this movie isn’t just about a lead heroine who possesses the X factor. No…This is a full-on horror show fueled by sex and violence…In that order! “X” also tackles themes of age, repression, religion, love, and the perils and pitfalls that can often come with filmmaking itself. And while “X” is certainly a horror movie in every sense of the term–it deftly juggles moments that are scary, disturbing, and downright uncomfortable to sit through–it should be noted that this film is also overflowing with a wicked sense of humor.
Mia Goth (“Suspiria”) heads the cast as Maxine, a starlet who will do just about anything to get noticed. Maxine is a fearless, no-nonsense rebel of sorts, and while she’s free and spunky, it’s clear that there’s a reason behind her rebellious nature. That reason isn’t entirely surprising but you have to wait until the final act to find out why she’s such a rebel. Additionally, Goth is afforded the opportunity to shine in ways that are best left undisclosed in this review.
The very energetic “X” cast also includes lively Brittany Snow as a bombshell blond who’s as confident as she is tenacious, rapper Kid Cudi as a charismatic performer who has no problem walking around in the buff, Jenny Ortega as a sweet God-fearing boom mic operator who’s on the verge of a sexual awakening, a slick Martin Henderson as a charming Matthew McConaughey-like producer, and Owen Campbell as a dedicated director/cameraman with aspirations of making an “artistic” porno movie. Stephen Ure also turns in terrific work as the old man who owns the property that serves as this film’s primary backdrop.
As terrific as the cast is, the real star of “X” is writer/director Ti West (“The House of the Devil,” “The Innkeepers,” “The Sacrament”), a gifted voice in independent horror who manages to turn the slasher film on its ear. Likewise, he’s quite the master when it comes to pacing and he gets big-time assists from director of photography Eliot Rockett, co-editor David Kashevaroff, and sound designer Graham Reznick.
Obviously, “X” won’t be a movie for everyone. Translation; If you have a difficult time with gore, sex, and dark humor in movies, you are well-advised to steer clear of this film. However, if you’re looking for a subversive ode to slashers that isn’t afraid to go places you don’t think it’ll have the nerve to go to, then “X” is absolutely worth watching.
There are aspects of “X” that didn’t quite work for me. As strong as the makeup is here, one character in the picture does require some suspension of disbelief but this is a minor quibble as, from a performance standpoint, there’s some truly creative stuff at play here. Beyond that, I hate to sound like a prude, but the aforementioned awakening that Ortega’s character experiences feel a bit sudden, and the fashion in which the film has no problem trampling on her significant other’s feelings seemed a little mean-spirited. But then, sex politics is a big theme at the heart of this movie, so a little ruffling of the feathers is certainly in order.
In the end, “X” is quite the wild ride. In addition to having a little more upstairs than your average garden-variety slasher movie, it’s extremely well-paced, opting for a slow-burn brimming with tension in the early goings before offering up the prerequisite bloodletting in a demented, gore-filled final act. Yep…”X” is well executed and enormously twisted in all the right ways. On a final note, stick around through the end credits for a cool little surprise; A surprise that suggests that there’s plenty more to this story but not in the way some viewers might be expecting.
