Maxxxine (2024) Review: Maxine is Finally a Star

Maxxxine is the third film in the X trilogy. The story picks up with Maxine having moved on from the slaughter of her friends as she tries to make a name for herself in Hollywood. However, a killer with knowledge of her past tracks her down, hellbent on making her pay for her sins.

I absolutely adored X and Pearl when they came out. I thought X was a great slasher who made us care for the victims, and Pearl expertly showed Pearl’s descent into psychopathy that led up to the events in the first move. I honestly had no idea where they would go with this third movie. I was definitely happy with where Ti West and Mia Goth took it, although it is not without its warts. 

To start positively, Mia Goth is a star in this role. She has been asked to wear a lot of hats in this franchise, and she has not disappointed in the slightest. She is a kickass woman who wears her confidence on her sleeve. She has put the massacre behind her and as she and her father put it frequently, “will not accept a life she does not deserve”. She keeps her emotions close, but as we see her fear, her anger, and her sadness build. 

I like that she is also a little morally ambiguous. She obviously killed the elderly couple in X and here, she refuses to help the cops when her friends are being killed. After Halsey’s character and another are the killer’s first victims, she just says she doesn’t talk to cops before slamming the door in their faces. She doesn’t even seek them out when she’s set to confront the killer. She learns that the killer is taking his victims to a house at the top of the hills but she doesn’t stop another actress from going and being killed. 

Everyone in this movie is really good in fact. Giancarlo Esposito, Elizabeth Debicki, and Kevin Bacon are all exceptional at their craft and bring tremendous energy to each of their roles. Kevin Bacon in particular is hilariously giving everything to his accent. Debicki is the no-nonsense director of Maxine’s movie (The Puritan 2) and guides Maxine to remove all her distractions if she wants to make it in this world. Esposito is her agent who found her and made her the actress she is and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. They all played into why I liked this movie as much as I did.

Hollywood looks incredible in this movie. Not the flashy side that everyone dreams about, but the streets look incredibly lived in. I wasn’t even an idea back in the 1980s so I have no frame of reference to how accurate it was, but it felt clean while being incredibly dirty. This was the time when rock, horror, and porn were all on the rise and certain people accused them of being the devil. As Esposito put it in interviews “In the ‘80s it was all about the moment, and all about having fun, because the world was a bleak place then”. That atmosphere is perfectly captured by West.

The kills were on par with the rest of the franchise. I loved that the movie was as practical as they could make it. Since they’re filming a movie, we see how the prosthetics are made. Towards the end, we get more action movie-esque with gunfights, but the movie does its best when we see the impact from a stab or a shot.

Speaking of the end, this is where most people would agree Maxxxine lost her steam. We get the reveal of who has been stalking Maxine and killing her friends and coworkers. I will not spoil it but it is a little predictable if you’ve seen X. I would agree with them, I think the third act of the movie is its weakest. The motivation is sound, but the measures they take are quite hypocritical. I will say, the movie using the Night Stalker as a red herring was interesting and I’m glad he wasn’t the killer here. 

Another thing that I wasn’t the biggest fan of was that we barely see Maxine act. In the first movie and this one, we’re told how she has the X factor and she’s a star, yet we only see it once, during her audition. I think the movie could’ve benefitted from showing us more of her acting so we understand more of why she refuses to let anyone steal her shine. Every time she’s on set, Debicki is just giving her advice about what it takes to make it in Hollywood. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really liked Maxxxine. I think it tells a good story that wraps up the world of Maxine Minx. Does it do everything right? No. Is it still incredibly enjoyable? Absolutely. The performances are great and I love the world that has been built. I’ve seen some inklings that there could be a 4th movie in this series, which I know my butt will be seated for. But as someone who enjoys this franchise and the work of Ti West and Mia Goth, this was a good watch for me.

4/5

To check out more of our reviews, click here. If you have suggestions for movies we should check out, email [email protected]!

You had me at 'hello' 👋

Sign up to receive every article we publish in your inbox instantly.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

- Advertisement -
Connor Jameson
Connor Jameson
I've always been a movie fan, but I first got big into cinema watching Whiplash when I was younger. That movie led to a greater appreciation of films and got me to dive into the medium. My favorite genre is horror movies, but I’ll always have a secret soft spot for rom coms and musicals. When I'm not podcasting or watching movies, I love working out and going hiking, and I currently work in business analytics with the degree I got from Western New England University. See my Letterboxd: ‎cnnrjmsn’s profile • Letterboxd MY FAVORITE MOVIES: Good Will Hunting, Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse, Whiplash, Moneyball, Top Gun: Maverick
Maxxxine is the third film in the X trilogy. The story picks up with Maxine having moved on from the slaughter of her friends as she tries to make a name for herself in Hollywood. However, a killer with knowledge of her past tracks...Maxxxine (2024) Review: Maxine is Finally a Star