MaXXXine

I might've been a little too hyped to see this third installment of the X trilogy because I left the theater somewhat disappointed.

Mia Goth rocks the role of Maxine. But the character deserved a better finale. The stakes didn't feel high enough. I'm a fan of Kevin Bacon, but his character wasn't threatening at all. He was more comical (in an annoying way) and given way too much screen time.

The kills were ok. The detectives were one dimensional characters... and the finale was anti-climactic. I would've liked to have seen something more with a Tarantino vibe.

The best part of the movie (aside from Mia) was the use of 80s music and nostalgia. But I can't really attribute that to the filmmakers.

Not a bad movie by any means. All of the elements were there. But the final product just wasn't as dynamic as it could've been.

This is the movie I was the most excited about out of three. I am a bit sad it was a bit underwhelming.

It is certainly the weakest of the 3. I watched it with my family and we all agreed.

It's just not a compelling story, what exactly is the point? The character development is also extremely shallow, I wasn't really rooting for anyone.

Now, I do love the horror film homages, I loved the chase in the movie set, it reminded me of Scream 3.

I also loved seeing the Bates Motel and the House from Psycho.

Visually it's also beautiful. This looks like it was shot on actual film. It is grainy, vibrant, colorful, lots of contrast, the camera work was great. I just love when a film looks like a film and not an amazon ad. The tone was also a mess, it's a bit of a thriller, a bit of a drama, and just a tiny bit of a horror.

Sadly, the story just falls short, it just wasn't the grand epic finale I was expecting.

Shoutout to the filmmakers for a great trailer because that's about where the greatness ends.

This film has a pretty solid start for the first 15-20 minutes that seems to set the tone, but it abandons that tone along the way pretty fast. The plot is lackluster and does nothing at all to make you care about any of the characters other than Maxine. Although, sometimes, Maxine is insufferable. Several of the decisions she makes in the movie do not make sense and are incredibly inconsistent with the character.

EVERY "twist" in the movie's plot is predictable if you've watched more than 10 movies in your lifetime.

Kevin Bacon was awesome as usual. That's the only reason I gave this a 3.

Mia Goth is great, Kevin Bacon is very good as a sleazy PI, Debicki is also good, the cinematography, costumes, sound and soundtrack are good as well. But the storyline is dumb, the last 15 minutes or so are ridiculous and not in a fun way. The movie seems a bit cheap, probably they worked on a tight budget. We don't see much of the 1980s Hollywood or LA, it doesn't say much about the moviemaking business, nor is it a good thriller, horror or psychological drama. It's bits of all these things, but convincing at one. Mia Goth is a true movie star though. Excellent actress, gorgeous too, she's the reason why I give it 5 stars instead of only 3.

I just got back from an early screening and wanted to share a few thoughts. Overall, it was a good time. Some of the tone felt more like a drama than horror as there are no real tense or scary moments, but I understand that horror isn't always interpreted that way.

If you haven't seen Pearl, you'll be fine. I do feel that you would need to at least watch X beforehand to understand some of the backstory and references.

I was very into the style of the movie, that 80s glam/sleaze look and feel was nailed perfectly. Ti West is good for that as seen in his earlier work, especially The House of the Devil. X remains my favorite of the trilogy but if you're a fan of the other two movies, you'll enjoy this. Mia Goth is always worth a watch.

The soundtrack, costumes, and performances were all done very well.