Summary
This trilogy began almost like howThe Lord of the Ringsmovies were shot. Peter Jackson put all of his money into those films being a hit and he wasn’t wrong. For the “X” trilogy, Ti West releasedXearly in 2022 and then Pearl at the end. It was a smart move and both did fairly well for Ti West andA24 on the whole.
The wait for the epic conclusion inMaXXXinewas a bit longer—two years, but many critics and fans seem to think that the wait was worth it. Others do not. Fans may rank these films in different orders, but here is how this ranking turned out. There will be spoilers.
3MaXXXine
Metacritic Score: 65
MaXXXineskips ahead about six years to where the first movie finished. Maxine is now living it up in Hollywood, getting her first big break ona horror filmknown asThe Puritan 2. She’s pumped but before she can begin filming, dead adult stars are turning up and detectives think she is involved. Also, a private eye, John, tracked her down and discovered that she was part of the farm massacre from 1979. Just when she thought it was over, her past came crawling back.
Maxine comes off as a bit cold in this movie, seemingly only out for herself. She learned to be brutal to survive which warped her character. She didn’t become a killer but she didn’t become a hero either. It’s an interesting way to look at how a survivor would turn out following a tragedy like Maxine’s. The big disappointment some may have is with the central mystery. A core whodunit scenario should have a good payoff and the man who hired John, and the killer, turned out to be Maxine’s father Ernest.
He doesn’t get enough time to shine nor does the trilogy set him up perfectly to be this wild mastermind behinda religious cult. He’s revealed and then dies shortly after without much celebration. It would have been a bit more satisfying to see Pearl return as a deformed cyborg or something that would have been more campy. Wishes aside, the true star of the film is the grittiness of Hollywood in the 1980s. Viewers can practically smell it off-screen.
2Pearl
Metacritic Score: 76
Pearl, for some, may be the height of the franchise because it followed the best character, Pearl. She was unveiled to be the killer inX, even as a seemingly frail old woman along with her husband Howard.Pearl, as a film, answered how she got to be this way in a fitting and tragic story. DuringWorld War 1, Howard left Pearl with her family. Her father was catatonic and had to be taken care of constantly and her mother, Ruth, was unkind.
Pearl wanted to leave the farm and become an actress but Ruth thought this was silly. This led to an accident involving Ruth catching on fire. Instead of saving her, Pearl just tossed her mom into the cellar to die and eventually, she let her dad die too. These were more indirect deaths but Pearl has two major kills in the movie. First, the film projectionist, with no name, who she cheats with. Upon learning something isn’t right, he tries to leave Pearl which leads to a freakout and also a pitchfork to his chest.
Then, she confesses the whole thing to Howard’s sister, Mitsy, and when Mitsy tries to leave, she also gets murdered. The world is against Pearl. Her upbringing and the constant negativity she received turned her into a killer. The best scene is the ending wherein Pearl tearfully welcomes Howard home to a disastrous dinner wherein Ruth and her husband are dressed up but still dead. It’s such a weird end to a horror movie but Mia Goth plays Pearl so well. Pearl, as a film, is a good example of how filmmakers shouldcreate a prequel.
1X
Metacritic Score: 80
XandPearlrank so close together and one would not exist without the other. WhatXdoes better thanPearl, and especiallyMaXXXine, is character development. It is set up like a typical horror film that follows a group of young people to a farm a laThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The big difference here is that they work in the adult entertainment industry.
So, all of the T&A inXhave a purpose whereas nudity in other horror films, likeFriday the 13th, seems silly. Why do there need to be shots of naked body parts in those films? It can feel explorative butXsolves that dilemma while trying to say something about the human body, the adult film industry, double standards in relationships, and more. It’s actually quite deep beneath the surface. Also, it is unsettling as it builds tension when they are on the farm.
The landowners, Pearl and Howard, aren’t quite right. When they start killing almost a full hour in, things start to truly get wild. From being fed to alligators to being stabbed in the neck with a knife repeatedly, there are some great kills inX. The only downside is that it can be hard to see in the dark. Also, many of the kills are cut away which is never good in an R-rated horror film.
Some of the creepiest parts don’t even involve murder. There’s a scene where Pearl undresses and snuggles up, while bloody, to Maxine in bed. Then there is the scene where Howard and Pearl “rekindle” their love and Maxine has to hear about it under the bed. The most satisfying part of course is Maxine escaping while running over Pearl’s head with a satisfying crunch. It’s agreat slasher filmthat calls back to the 70s while managing to say something new.
