Maxine Fucking Minx!

MaXXXine is the final installment in Ti West’s trilogy starring the incredible Mia Goth.

In this film, we pick up a few years after X as Maxine has found her way to Hollywood. She’s now an adult film star and has made a name for herself, but she wants something more. You heard in the prequel Pearl, SHE’S A STAR. So Maxine sets her sights on auditioning for a horror film that she believes will launch her career. They’re hesitant, but Maxine ultimately gets the part, and that’s where the fun begins.

There’s a killer on the loose in LA by the name of “The Night Stalker,” who’s been killing women all around the Hidden Hills. The film, set in the 80s, showcases the sleaze and grunge of the time with dynamic cinematography and music that I can’t wait to add to my playlist after the film (I am a millennial, after all).

Not everyone will agree, but MaXXXine is my favorite film of the franchise, with Pearl being the least. Sure, the film is pretty predictable (I guessed the villain about halfway through) and doesn’t provide the same creepiness as X, but it is very reminiscent of the slasher films we know and love. For fans of X and Pearl, this film delivers. It’s sharper, more fast-paced, and more direct than the first two films. You can almost manage to get away without seeing the other two films in the trilogy, but you will likely need to watch X to fully appreciate it.

I won’t give the ending away, but MaXXXine gives the send-off Goth’s character deserves. You root for her. You cheer her on. This is my Joker.

MaXXXine is in theaters today.

P.S. If anyone at A24 sees this, we want The Puritan I & II.