Film review: Down-and-dirty crime thriller 'MaXXXine' revels in 1980s Hollywood sleaze

Those who might not have caught director Ti West's 2022 horror film "X" or its prequel "Pearl" don't necessarily need to have seen either of those films to enjoy "MaXXXine," the third film in West's trilogy. Though all three films center on characters played by star, co-writer and co-producer Mia Goth, each one is stylistically very different from the other.

Where "X" was set in 1979 and leaned heavily into the aesthetic of the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and the 1918-set "Pearl" paid a twisted tribute to Technicolor musicals, "MaXXXine" is a down-and-dirty crime thriller that drops all retro pretense and campiness to drop the audience feet-first into the sleaziest elements of Hollywood circa 1985.

Set five years after the events depicted in "X," Goth's character Maxine Minx has escaped the nightmare she survived in rural Texas and is enjoying a successful career as an adult film actor and exotic dancer in Hollywood, California. After landing a leading role in a low-budget horror sequel, Maxine is in danger of losing all that she has worked for, and possibly her life, after she is pursued by a shady detective and a serial killer.

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With the back-to-back release of "X" and "Pearl" in 2022, both films quickly gained a significant cult following due to the throwback production style and Goth's swing-for-the-fences performances as Maxine and Pearl, whose lives are paralleled by oppressively religious parents who stand in the way of both characters' showbusiness dreams. Both feature gory violence and dark humor, and some unforgettably shocking moments.

Will viewers take to "MaXXXine" in a similar way? The answer is iffy, because West and Goth offer very little in the way of fan service when it comes to repeating themes and throwbacks to the first two films in the trilogy. Instead, West seems more concerned with faithfully creating the kind of movie that would've played in one of the sketchy-looking theaters that Maxine walks past, or that Travis Bickle took his date to in "Taxi Driver." Think George C. Scott in "Hardcore" (1979), Al Pacino in "Cruising" (1980) or Linda Blair in "Savage Streets" (1984).

Walking in completely cold to "MaXXXine" might just be your best bet, as the film stands on its own as a solidly gritty crime thriller and is easily the best of the three movies in purely cinematic terms. Still, horror fans need not worry about a lack of blood and guts, as "MaXXXine" honors its predecessors by delivering the red stuff by the gallon. Those who have followed West's career since the beginning are in for the biggest treat of all, as he's back in "The Roost" and "House of the Devil" mode here to create art that feels as timeless as its influences.

"MaXXXine" is scheduled to open in Athens on Friday, July 5. Check theater listings for schedule and show times.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Film review: 'MaXXXine' a 1980s-style sleazefest