X is a horror film that was both written and directed by Ti West in 2022. It seems to pay homage to slasher films from the 1970s, however, it does not serve as a comforting element of nostalgia. It instead tackles psychological depth while simultaneously critiquing concepts surrounding youth, sexuality, aging, and the human desire for fame and beauty. The film is set in a 1979 rural Texas and utilizes grindhouse aesthetics not purely for shock value, but as a reflection of social fears and desires. With exceptional performances, especially Mia Goth, and competent direction, X demonstrates that horror is not only savage, but can be incredibly intelligent.
Plot Summary
The narrative opens with an enthusiastic crew of filmmakers who plan to shoot an adult film ‘The Farmer’s Daughters’ in a secluded farmhouse in Texas. The cast includes:
Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) – the film’s leading actress who gains superstardom with this film.
Wayne (Martin Henderson) – the producer of the film and Maxine’s boyfriend.
Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) – a sassy adult star.
Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi)) – a marine turned adult film actor who plays Bobby’s romantic interest.
RJ (Owen Campbell) – an ambitious filmmaker and the film’s director.
Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) – RJ’s doubtful girlfriend who comes along as a sound technician.
They book a cabin for rent on a secluded land owned by an old, reclusive couple; Howard and Pearl. It is evident that the couple is socially awkward, but something more sinister is also revealed. Pearl is obsessed with the younger days of her life and feels a strange affection towards Maxine which subsequently leads to feelings of resentment. As the filmmakers begin their outdated genres of adult films, they are met with grave violence as the struggles of the couple permeates into this peaceful looking farmhouse.
Themes and Symbolism
X is more than just a slasher movie. It incorporates elements of exploitation cinema while preserving social critique at its center.
The Loss of Desire and the Fear of Aging
Perhaps one of the most distinct elements of X is how it treats the subject of aging, especially through the character of Pearl, who in addition to being Mia Goth, was heavily masked with makeup. Pearl is not simply an antagonist; she is a deeply haunted recount of a once-beautiful, sexually repressed woman. The resentment she feels toward the young people flowing into her home is because of the deep-seated need for affection, freedom, and attention that were attendant to her in old age. The attempt to revive what she caused through Maxine ends in unbelievable tragedy, and though this empathy evokes stoic horror, it is true in some sense as a horror rooted in the empathy of mortality.
Violence and Sex
A connection is made in West’s film between the liberating acts of sexuality and the violence that represses it. The younger filmmakers seem to indulge in whatever explicit content they want, and in doing so, express some form of creative freedom. That naivete is treated, in a strange form, with naivety itself. On the contrary, Pearl and Howard live in a world brimming with shame and constraining their freedom which festers into violence. The horror does not stem from a lack of moderation when dealing with sex. Rather, the chance to explore even slightly society’s accepted boundaries can, if restricted, create monsters more frightening than any masked murderer.
The Duality of Identity
The thematic performance of Mia Goth as Maxine and Pearl is a stroke of genius. The two parts capture the essence of youth and old age, vanity and rot on both a literal and allegorical level. A tagline of a reality show about Maxine summarizes her life philosophy: “I will not accept a life I do not deserve.” It serves as an encouragement, but in the context of Pearl’s life, her later years can only regret what could have been. The narrative suggests that given a few tweaks to her life, Pearl could have transformed into Maxine. The duality mindset supports the film’s primary idea of how radically different life paths steeped in choices, regrets, and sociocultural expectations—these are the intersections every person meets in life.
Performances
Mia Goth commands the whole rage of the film in her twin performances. Maxine is the calm and collected embodiment of confidence and ambition, while Pearl is a desiring and furious woman who is both fragile and terrifying. Stunning prosthetic makeup combined with flawless physical acting makes Pearl a grotesque yet heartbreaking figure that Goth brings to life.
Rising star Jenna Ortega continues to build her portfolio with this role. Even as Lorraine, she carries a potent dose of curiosity and innocence. From all the stories in the movie, her transformation arc—disapproving, supporting, becoming a victim—is the most heartrending.
Brittany Snow and Kid Cudi give life and authenticity to stereotype characters and elevate them into more complex figures. Martin Henderson and Owen Campbell do a good job as supporting characters, Campbell’s arc portraying the smugness of an artist who is out of touch with reality.
Cinematography and Direction
Slow-burn horror aficionados are familiar with Ti West and his works, such as The House of the Devil, but in X he both pays homage to and terrifies the classics. Eliot Rockett’s cinematography features scorched earth sunlight, deep threatening blacks, and 70’s vintage exploitation film grain, giving the film a retro vibe. The use of split diopter long takes and eerie tracking movements create suspenseful tension without needing cheap jump scares.
The structure of the film builds character dynamics and emotional subtext before delivering violence to the audience, which is a choice. Once horror breaks loose, it is brutally punishing in the best possible way. The amount of kills crafted is staged in such a way that each feels purposeful rather than sensationalized.
Reception and Legacy
The film X received accolades as soon as it came out for its clever retro-inspired screenplay and retro aesthetics, and particularly for Mia Goth’s performance. Reviews described it as a horror film that was respectful of its audience and provided them with shockingly brutal gore at the same time. Its originality coupled with the modest budget and a strong box office return proved that original horror was still alive in a market overrun with remakes and sequels.
The films success pushed the creators to expand it into a trilogy, adding a prequel titled Pearl which adds moral depth to her motivations by depicting her origin story. MaXXXine, a sequel, continues the exploration of Maxine’s character in the 1980s, further delving into the themes of fame, identity, and the darker nuances of Hollywood.
Conclusion
X isn’t simply an admiration of slasher films from the past; it is an intricate work of art combining shock with depth. It underscores the true essence of the genre by bringing forth the theme of facing one’s greatest fears—the death of youth, beauty, and relevance accompanied by unsettling characters, intelligent symbols, and masterful direction.
X by Ti West denotes a major event in contemporary horror cinema; a film that dares to disturb and think. It is a ruthless yet humane account of the collision of thwarted ambition and aging in the seedy underbelly of the American dream.
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