This year has been an excellent one for horror movies, with almost all of the most significant releases receiving critical praise, many even earning the coveted Certified Fresh seal of approval from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. But horror is often controversial, and one of this year's most anticipated movies is also among its most polarizing.
We're referring to MaXXXine, the third film in Ti West's acclaimed slasher trilogy that started with the 2022 film X and was followed by the prequel movie Pearl. After debuting in theaters this past July, MaXXXine made its streaming debut in October on Max and immediately joined the Top 10 chart alongside one of this year's most popular psychological thriller films, Trap. Currently, West's latest directorial effort is holding the #9 position.
With a 72% approval score on the aforementioned aggregator and an even higher audience score (76%), you might wonder what I mean by "polarizing," but MaXXXine's reviews and online scoring, while still strong, are significantly lower than both preceding films, which scored in the 90% range, signifying that more critics positively reviewed the first two movies in the trilogy than the third.
If you spend significant time on Letterboxd or other social media sites like Reddit and the "Film Twitter" part of X (formerly Twitter), you'll find a smattering of divisive takes on the film, predominantly due to its third act, which ends in an obvious reveal and some over-the-top moments that won't work for everyone. MaXXXine confidently leans into its Giallo and neo-noir inspirations, paying homage to directors such as Brian De Palma and films like Ms. 45.
What is MaXXXine about?
For those who haven't watched the movie yet, I recommend watching X and Pearl first, but you could also dive headfirst into MaXXXine. Like previous films in the trilogy, this one stars Mia Goth in the lead role.
This time, she's just playing the character Maxine Minx, an aspiring actress and the lone survivor of the Texas massacre that took place six years prior and resulted in the deaths of all of her friends. Since then, Maxine has relocated to Los Angeles to continue following her dreams of stardom and successfully landed a role in a horror movie.
But the streets are dangerous. The Night Stalker is prowling the streets and murdering people, and several of Maxine's new LA friends turn up dead, putting a target on her back. A mysterious killer is out there, and his trail of blood seems to lead right back to Maxine.
Stream MaXXXine now on Max.