MaXXXine: Ti West's Trilogy Ends in Neon-Soaked Fury

Ti West's X trilogy has been a remarkable achievement: three films across three eras, each with its own distinct style, all anchored by Mia Goth's magnetic presence. MaXXXine, the concluding chapter, transplants survivor Maxine Minx from the Texas farmhouse of X to the neon-drenched streets of 1985 Los Angeles, where she's finally pursuing her dreams of legitimate stardom.

West recreates mid-80s Hollywood with obsessive detail—the sleazy video stores, the cocaine glamour, the looming threat of the Night Stalker providing real-world context. The film looks gorgeous, shot on location at actual Hollywood landmarks with a visual style that evokes De Palma at his most lurid.

Goth commands every frame. Her Maxine is ruthlessly ambitious, damaged but determined, willing to do whatever it takes to escape her past and claim the future she believes she deserves. The supporting cast is stacked: Elizabeth Debicki as a demanding director, Kevin Bacon as a sleazy PI, Giancarlo Esposito as her protective agent.

If MaXXXine has a weakness, it's that it can't quite match the propulsive momentum of X or the gothic tragedy of Pearl. The pacing sags in the middle, and the resolution, while satisfying, feels slightly rushed. But these are minor complaints in what's otherwise a triumphant conclusion to one of modern horror's most ambitious projects.