Horror auteur Ti West’s horny/scary trilogy comes to a conclusion in this ’80s-set slasher.
How to watch MaXXXine in New Zealand
MaXXXine is screening exclusively in New Zealand cinemas right now.
What is MaXXXine about?
Indie darling Mia Goth is the titular porn starlet, Maxine Minx, trying to transition into mainstream acting in the mid ’80s. Unfortunately for her, there was (and still is) a stigma against adult performers at the time. Even more unfortunately, Los Angeles circa 1985 was in the grip of terror thanks to the predations of serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka The Night Stalker. And for the trifecta, there’s also a copycat killer who seems to be targeting Maxine and her circle of intimates.
The whole thing is a giallo-inflected, hyper-stylised mix of bloody kills and sleazy thrills – you probably already know if that’s your jam or not.
The cast of MaXXXine
Mia Goth is Maxine Minx; Elizabeth Debicki is Elizabeth Bender, a horror movie director; Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale are Detectives Williams and Torres, who are investigating the murders; pop star Halsey is porn star Tabby Martin; Lily Collins is actress Molly Bennett; Giancarlo Esposito is sleazy agent Teddy Knight, Esq; and bona fide ’80s legend Kevin Bacon is John Labat, a private investigator.
MaXXXine trailer
What are the critics saying about MaXXXine?
Following on from the ’70s-set X and Dustbowl-era prequel Pearl, both certified bangers, expectations were pretty high for this one. And expectations do not seem to have been met. reviews have been decidedly mixed, with critics decrying the film’s style-over-substance approach and labelling it the weakest of the series. Our own Eliza Janssen gave it a pasting, calling the film a “disappointing and half-baked conclusion to a pair of more fresh-feeling horror homages.” Ouch.
Still, sometimes the aesthetic is enough, so if spending some time in the cocaine-hued darker corners of ’80s Hollywood rings your bell, odds are decent that MaXXXine will tick a large number of boxes for you.
