Warning: This article includes MAJOR SPOILERS for MaXXXine (2024).
The movie MaXXXine includes one quote that perfectly describes the last installment in director Ti West’s horror trilogy. Two years after X and Pearl, the conclusion to A24’s has released in theaters, bringing a lot of hype. As an avid horror fan, I went into MaXXXine with high expectations. X is one of my favorite horror movies, and Mia Goth has incredible acting skills that can carry even the weakest movie. Luckily, the latest film by Ti West didn’t disappoint. MaXXXine is one of the best horror movies of 2024 so far, alongside I Saw The TV Glow and Abigail.
The movie explores Maxine Minx’s desperation for fame and name recognition in the acting business outside the pornography genre. Besides the titular main character, one of the most compelling characters in MaXXXine is the fictional director, Elizabeth Bender, played by Golden Globe-winning actress Elizabeth Debicki. In addition to giving Maxine a realistic view of Hollywood’s ruthlessness, Elizabeth provides a quote that stuck in my head long after the movie’s ending because it perfectly describes the last film in Ti West’s X trilogy.
How MaXXXine Is A B-Movie With A Ideas
MaXXXine Leans Into The Campy, Pulpy Style Of B-Movies
In MaXXXine, Elizabeth Bender explains that she wants to make a “B-movie with A ideas” – a meta quote that can also describe the movie in which it appears. Traditionally, the term “B-movie” referred to a low-budget, low-quality film that would play during the second half of a drive-in double feature; however, the term is now used more loosely to describe sensationalist or arthouse films that often fall into traditional genre tropes. Based on the modern definition, I would place MaXXXine solidly in the category of a B-movie.
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Ti West seems to understand what horror fans like and want. The visuals in his film are unapologetically titillating, sleazy, raunchy, and gritty. However, MaXXXine also has well-developed characters and a strong message, exploring societally relevant themes. By combining B-movie elements and A ideas, MaXXXine creates a story that’s as clever as it is entertaining to watch.
MaXXXine Is An Exploitation Thriller For The Modern Era
MaXXXine Keeps The Salacious Visuals While Incorporating Modern Ideals
Just as much as the movie is an homage to the genre, MaXXXine fits into the category of an exploitation thriller. However, unlike the films from the 80s, the Ti West movie has a more modern spin. While the people protesting in the film don’t support sex work, the messaging in MaXXXine itself is very much pro-sex work. It made me joyful to see Maxine Minx point out to the casting directors that acting in pornography is still acting because she’s right.
MaXXXine’s ending questions the unethical behavior of religious leaders, making the charismatic televangelist leader commit murder. Moreover, in a world where information is more accessible than ever, the message that a person’s past can hinder their chance at fame resonates more deeply than it might have in the past. Ultimately, it’s exciting to see that MaXXXine found a way to modernize the exploitation thriller genre, moving away from some of the more sexist and shallow messaging.
