X (2022)

🎥 Synopsis

Writers of the film X, set in rural Texas in 1979, claim that it captures the heart of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It is a visceral reflection on classic slasher films; however, this particular work dives into the multifaceted themes of aging, obsession, and the macabre ways of seeking glory through notoriety.

Taking a cue from their contemporaries, a group of filmmakers set off to produce an adult film titled The Farmer’s Daughters in a guest house located on a secluded ranch. The crew comprises of:

• Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) and Wayne (Martin Henderson) – a couple where the former is an aspiring actress eager for prominence while the latter serves as her slick producer boyfriend.
• Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) – A vainglorious porn star known for her cheerful disposition.
• Jackson Hole (Kid Cudi) – Bobby-Lynn’s easy-going co-star.
• RJ (Owen Campbell) – A director with more focus on an “elevated” narrative to his adult film.
• Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) – An overly cautious girlfriend to RJ who records sound for the film.

The house is owned by Howard and Pearl, and while the elderly couple comes off as bizarre, they don’t seem dangerous—for now. An obsession with youth is all too common, and Pearl’s infatuation with Maxine symbolizes exactly that—alongside everything she’s lost. At some point, the timid nature of the few participants in the film transforms into vicious unrelenting violence. As Pearl desperately tries to reclaim the lost opportunity, the various visions of disregard for order result in gruesome deaths.

🌟 Main Cast

• Mia Goth as Maxine Minx and Pearl – Goth delivers a hauntingly captivating dual performance of the character illustrating the spectrum from youthfully ambitious to obsessively decaying.
• Jenna Ortega as Lorraine – The ‘church mouse,’ who underwent an unexpected metamorphosis.
• Brittany Snow as Bobby-Lynne – Embodies the body-confident, brassy bold 70s glamour.
• Kid Cudi as Jackson Hole – Cudi portrays a charming Vietnam veteran turned porn star.
• Martin Henderson as Wayne – The sleazy, swaggering producer.
• Stephen Ure as Howard – Pearl’s devoted but disturbingly complicit frail husband.

🖋️ Themes and Tone

The film is marketed as a slasher but is laden with psychological depth and social commentary, especially concern with:

The pain of watching the world worship and adore youth while “Pearl” fades into invisibility captures the despairing essence of aging and the eternal dread of being immaterial in this world.

The freedom and suppression of sexuality – While the adult film crew embraces their sexuality, it starkly stands in contrast to Pearl’s deep loneliness and deep-seated yearning.

Every single person is playing a role; on camera and in real life, they are chasing the version of themselves they want the world to see.

Lust transforms into lethal envy paired with repression and rage which along with desire culminates in violence.

The combination of retro aesthetics and creeping dread alongside sharp brutality paint the horror, whether physical or emotional, in both painful and tender strokes.

🎞️ Style and Cinematography

Ti West skillfully pays tribute to films from the 1970s exploitation and grindhouse cinema, incorporating:

Split diopter shots and slow zooms that echo films like Psycho and Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Overlaid erotic imagery juxtaposed with violent horror – gentler scenes being suddenly terrifying.
Gradual character immersion with a slow build to bloodshed.
Editing and a musical score that predicate nostalgia to the slasher genre while fusing modern insight.
⭐ Reception

X was received with sharp criticism, directing most of the acclaim toward its:

Smart subversive style when it came to the genre’s predominant themes.
Mia Goth’s astonishing dual performance.
Blend of eroticism, horror, and tragic introspection.
Bold take on age, beauty, desire, and their perception in society.
It instigated renewed fascination with the slasher sub-genre, propel-ling a prequel (Pearl) and an upcoming sequel (MaXXXine) as the start of what is now referred to as Ti West’s horror trilogy.

🔗 Concluding Remarks

Beyond being a stylish horror film, X serves as a contemplative drive on the themes of life and death, beauty and fame and the bittersweet nostalgia driven by Age. The film is one of the most intelligent slashers I have seen in a long time, thanks to its profound characters, ‘Scream-worthy gut-punching terror’ and eerie atmosphere.

If you, too, enjoy gore mixed with plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat and mentally engaging narrative like in Hereditary, Witch, and It Follows, X is bound to offer you a different type of feeling along with chaotic fun.