MaXXXine (2024)

X was first, and then it was equalled by Pearl. Now we have MaXXXine, the final instalment of what could be, if handled well, the most consistently brilliant horror trilogy of the past quarter of a century. No pressure then.

Mia Goth returns, of course, in the role of Maxine Minx, an adult film star we first met in X. Minx has achieved the first part of her plan to be a great success, but now comes the tricky time when she hopes to transition into more mainstream fare. She knows she has what it takes, but she just has to hope that the horror movie she is due to star in will be good enough to match her talent. Meanwhile, a killer is cutting his way through the young women who work in the parts of Hollywood not covered in glitter and stardust.

Whatever you think of this trilogy, you have to admire the fact that Ti West, as well as collaborating creative/lead Goth, has delivered three slasher movies that feel very different yet also feel brilliantly in conversation with one another as they waltz around one another on their way to a looming door with a neon "EXIT" sign flashing above it. It also helps that West has done such a great job of evoking three unique eras in a way that allows for a change in aesthetics while also feeding into everything that is being explored in the central character (whether that is Maxine or Pearl).

Before people start to get the wrong impression here, perhaps thinking that I am going to rank this film as an equal alongside the two that preceded it, I should say that this doesn't quite stick the landing. The third act of the third film is where West stumbles, which is a great shame. That will allow many viewers to come away from this and think of nothing more than that one aspect, but a moment to remember the whole trilogy, and what was achieved overall, should be enough to make you give this film a bit more goodwill. It also helps that it shows so much love for the history of the horror genre, and the history of movie-making, as the other instalments, and does so once again without bringing everything to a complete halt in order to nod and wink at the audience.

Goth deserves some kind of special award for her work in this trilogy, and her performance here is as faultless as anything else that she's done recently. There is no trilogy without her astonishing work at the heart of it, which is another big plus. There are some other big names alongside her, but results vary. Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale are pretty wasted as two detectives trying to catch a killer, and Kevin Bacon is having a bit too much fun as a slezay private investigator who feels like he should be in a different movie, but Giancarlo Esposito, Moses Sumney, and Lily Collins do very good work, Simon Prast somehow pitches the tone of his performance just right, and Elizabeth Debicki does so well that she comes closest to stealing a scene or two from Goth. She doesn't succeed, but she comes close.

I started this review with some hesitation. I wanted to praise the film, but also wanted to explain my disappointment with the mis-steps. In the process of writing it, however, I have actually managed to convince myself that the mis-steps aren't that important. This has a number of people working at what seems to be the height of their powers, a great soundtrack (and the music from Tyler Bates is also wonderful), and some gory moments of violence on the way to an ending that serves as a near-perfect way to say goodbye to this mesmerising and challenging character. It may not equal the other two films in the trilogy, but it doesn't miss by much.

8/10

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Pearl (2022)

Us Brits (well, those without a VPN) may have had to wait much longer than our American cousins, but Pearl is finally here. The prequel to X, once again directed by Ti West, who once again worked in close collaboration with his main star, Mia Goth, this is an intriguingly different beast from the enjoyable film that came before it. Is it any good though?

The short answer is yes.

Goth plays the titular Pearl, a young woman who is struggling with her life. She's stuck on a small farm with her parents, the man she loves is serving in the military during wartime, and she starts to become obsessed with the idea of becoming a star. It can be good to have a dream, but it's not long until Pearl starts to struggle with her grip on reality. And that can make things perilous for those around her.

While X was, superficially anyway, looking to evoke the simplistic tropes of films such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and a number of slashers from the 1970s and 1980s, Pearl immediately welcomes viewers into a completely different movie realm, the grand technicolor melodrama of Douglas Sirk. Or maybe even The Wizard Of Oz. Or Blue Velvet, itself an amalgamation of the same key texts underpinned by similar darkness and subversion. The fact that it compares favourably to those films is a remarkable achievement, and a testament to how committed West and Goth are, both to the development of the central character and the story beats that have now been planned throughout a trilogy (MaXXXine will hopefully be released by the end of this year or the start of 2024).

As good as West does with the direction, he has once again given himself a major boost by allowing Goth to shine (ironic, considering the ambition of her character). Genre fans are used to seeing performances in genre films being completely overlooked by those who praise and reward great acting, but it's no exaggeration to say that Goth gives such an amazing performance here that her lack of any recognition during the main award season was, quite frankly, ridiculous. Goth is a fragile dolly, being toyed around by her own hyperactive psyche, and she has many outstanding moments, but the obvious highlight is a monologue in the third act that could easily sit alongside some of the greatest ever scenes in cinema. Tandi Wright and Matthew Sunderland play Pearl's parents, a very strict mother and seriously incapacitated and ill father, Emma Jenkins-Purro is her friend/sister-in-law, and the main men in her life are played by David Corenswet (a local projectionist showing magic and possible escape on the silver screen) and Alistair Sewell (the absent husband, Howard). Everyone does good work, and it helps that they are often used as ways in which Pearl sees aspects of her mind reflected back at her, in conversations and in expressions.

A wonderful score helps, created by Tyler Bates and Tim Williams, the period setting feels carefully constructed and maintained, and there is connective tissue between this and X that will satisfy viewers of that film while not distracting anyone who may somehow stumble across this one first.

Some people may be put off by the pacing, or even by the overall tone of Pearl, but I loved it. I liked X a LOT, which meant I was both excited and nervous for this next instalment. Thankfully, this is an even better film. In an ideal world, Goth would have been in the same conversation this/last year as Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, et al. But we don’t live in an idea world. Thankfully, we do live in a world that occasionally gives us genre movies as good as this. And there’s always plenty of time yet for “the snobs” to eventually acknowledge how talented Goth is.

9/10

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X (2022)

I have a strange relationship with film-maker Ti West, and I suspect I am not the only horror fan to feel this way. He has been working on his craft for just over two decades now and the good stuff is often very good, but there’s a feeling throughout some of his work that he just wants to mess with people. And let’s not even mention his dubious honour of delivering arguably the worst horror anthology segment I have ever seen (in The ABCs Of Death). This meant that I started watching X with some trepidation, despite it having a potentially great premise. There was no need to worry though, thank goodness, as X is easily the best thing that Ti West has ever done.

The plot is fairly simple. A group of people rent a small farmhouse property in the middle of nowhere. It is the late 1970s and the leader of the group, Wayne (Martin Henderson), wants to make a fortune in the world of porn, which he knows is possible with this location, the people around him, and the equipment that will allow them to make an immediate impact on the new and lucrative home video market. Wayne has two starlets with him, Maxine (Mia Goth) and Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow), as well as a well-endowed leading man, Jackson (Kid Cudi). Then you have the sound technician, Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), and RJ the cameraman (Owen Campbell). All bodes well for the group, except for the fact that the man they are renting from, Howard (Stephen Ure), takes an instant dislike to them, and there may be problems caused by his wife, Pearl, who doesn’t always have her mental faculties working as well as they should.

If you haven’t seen any of the X marketing yet then you may want to look away now. Just trust me, it is worth your time. For everyone else, you already know what the set-up is here (a porn film crew get themselves caught up in a bit of peril that could easily turn into a full massacre) and I can reassure you that West delivers on it.

Taking his time with the first half of the movie, what you get is a nice slow burn that, in a pleasantly surprising turn of events, really rewards patient viewers with a third act full of grisly deaths and enjoyable “punchlines”. West seems to be having a lot of fun, with recreating a period style and sneakily layering his script with some interesting commentary on beauty as a coveted commodity, and that fun is infectious. X will make you wince, but it will also make you grin as you enjoy one gory set-piece after another. And realising how the movie has been cast will make you think about the main point that West is making, helping to appreciate further a film that has some unexpected depth beyond the nudity and bloodshed.

The cast all do great work, with Snow and Goth being the ones who have to be the least inhibited. Both of those ladies are excellent, and very believable, but Goth also has some more to do in helping West get across his main point, and she deserves some extra kudos for that. Cudi is also very good in his role, playing his character with a mixture of confidence and wariness, considering the time period and the setting, and he is matched by Ortega and Campbell, who feel a bit like supporting players, despite the former being a bit more involved in things in the second half of the movie. Henderson is an easygoing charmer, or at least tries to be, and his energy helps a lot, and Ure portrays the typical sullen “farmer” type who can barely stand the presence of younger folks anywhere near him, let alone on his land. Having just the right mix of anger and sadness, Ure acts in a way, like everyone else here, that allows him to feel like more than just an archetype.

While not feeling overdone in a pointed way, the clothing and design of the film feel nicely of the period, there’s hair and make-up on the characters that is just spot on, and the editing, music, and other aspects of the film all contribute to a nice recreation of something that was filmed in the seventies before being spruced up and presented to modern audiences.

Obviously not for the prudish, X could well be the best horror movie of this year. It’s certainly a strong contender, thanks in no small part to the intelligence hidden away under the exploitation garb. The more I think on it, the more I loved it. Easily the best movie yet from West, and I hope many other horror movie fans check it out. You may end up as pleasantly surprised as I was.

9/10

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The Sacrament (2013)

Ti West may well be the single most frustrating writer-director working in independent horror today. After making such a great impact with The House Of The Devil, he seems to have gone downhill with every subsequent release, constantly squandering his potential and making it increasingly hard to put his name forward as the shining light in horror that he could have been.

The Sacrament doesn't rectify the situation. It's done (when convenient) in a documentary style, but with opening credits to seemingly ensure, I guess, that the illusion is never once entirely believable. A. J. Bowen and Joe Swanberg are two young men reporting for Vice who tag along with a man named Patrick (Kentucker Audley) after hearing about the strange events concerning his sister, Caroline (Amy Seimetz). It turns out that she's cleaned up her life, after many problem years, and is living in an idyllic community overseen by a religious leader, Father (Gene Jones). Is paradise on Earth possible, or is everything not quite as it seems when the visitors start to look beyond the surface of this peaceful place?

Where to begin with my complaints about this movie? Well, I guess I could always start with what I actually liked about it. I thought Bowen was pretty damn good, as he so often is. Jones was alright, although not captivating enough to believe that so many people would flock to, and stay with, him. And Seimetz did well in her role. The general premise is a good one, with the first half playing out in a way that sets up a potentially brilliant back end. And there are individual scenes that are pretty bloody intense, such as the moment in which a desperate mother does what she thinks is best to protect her daughter from whatever might be in store for her.

The rest of the movie is either clumsy, lazy (which seems to be an unfortunate trait that West carries between each movie lately), or just ill-advised, at best. The opening credits are really the first warning sign that this is a director about to utilise a style he either clearly doesn't understand or doesn't want to bother with for the duration of the film. By the time we get to the second half, and the scenes during which the camerawork is clearly not being controlled by any of our main characters, then you just end up wondering what the whole point was. Well, that's if you can stop thinking about how unbelievable everything gets as the final third moves from drama into horror territory. Character motivations and actions make little sense, the tension dissipates just as it should be ratcheting up by degrees, and it eventually becomes a bit of a chore to get to the end credits.

There's also that problem with Jones, a problem I already mentioned above. He's good enough in his performance, but it's not the right performance for the role, one that is also sorely treated by a weak script. If this is a man who can gain numerous followers and rule over them in an idyllic commune then he must come across as someone who can sell veggie-burgers to vampires. Jones can't manage that. He never seems to have enough presence, or (worst of all) the courage of his convictions.

There's almost enough here to make me like this movie, that's the most frustrating thing about it. Once again, West has teased me with his potential before retreating into his comfort zone. And the worst thing is . . . . . . . I'll still hold out hope for his next movie. Just as I did for this one.

4/10

http://www.amazon.com/Sacrament-Blu-ray-Joe-Swanberg/dp/B00KGA87CW/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1412432986&sr=1-2&keywords=the+sacrament

Drinking Buddies (2013)

There's something about Drinking Buddies that I liked, despite the fact that the film just seems to be an aimless, inebriated, waste of time while it's on. Writer-director Joe Swanberg is happy, as ever, to let things play out in a way that demands patience and no small amount of empathy from viewers. He's helped by a great cast, all working well together, and one or two scenes that sneak up on you with their warmth and, yes, romance. In between the many beers being drunk.

Olivia Wilde plays Kate, a young woman who works in a brewery with Luke (Jake Johnson). She also has a decent boyfriend, Chris (Ron Livingston), while Luke has a girlfriend named Jill (Anna Kendrick), but that doesn't stop both of them enjoying a friendship that keeps them closer than most couples. They work together, they joke around, and they often go out for a few beers. And then a few more beers.

People familiar with Swanberg's work will know what to expect here, some slightly rambling tale that focuses on character interaction above anything cinematic. That can be frustrating at times, but it has to be said that his attempts to capture something that feels more naturalistic on camera results in some moments of great success.

This movie has some very sweet scenes, and numerous moments that ring true. The chemistry between Wilde and Johnson is great, with the pair really feeling like two close friends comfortable enough to joke around with one another, comfort one another, and even chastise one another when one thinks that the other is out of line. Livingston and Kendrick may be slightly sidelined, but they're allowed to affect main events without being reduced to a simple plot device. And there's a fun supporting role for Ti West, who walks a thin line between cocky and just comfortable in the company of workmates.

Drinking Buddies is worth a watch, but it's nowhere near as good as it could have been. Neither the dramatic nor comedic elements work as well as they should, and it's enough to make you want to grab Swanberg by the collar and give him a shake, forcing him to just focus on one way of telling the tale.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drinking-Buddies-DVD-Olivia-Wilde/dp/B00G7M18S8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390170402&sr=8-1&keywords=drinking+buddies