The X trilogy officially has Martin Scorsese's seal of approval. The Killers of the Flower Moon director has sung the praises of Ti West's slasher series, which began with 2022's X and culminated with the recently released MaXXXine, for being a "different type of horror."
He told the New York Times that he thought each film in the trilogy represented a "different type of horror, related to different eras in American moviemaking." X, is "the ’70s, the slasher era", 2023's prequel Pearl is "'50s melodrama in vivid saturated color", and MaXXXine is "'80s Hollywood, rancid, desperate." They are "three linked stories set within three different moments in movie culture, reflecting back on the greater culture," Scorsese added.
In the NYT's words, the filmmaker thought that "by smuggling thoroughly modern ideas into films that were also steeped in the aesthetics of the past, West had done something bold and thoroughly cinematic".
MaXXXine, the conclusion to the trilogy, picks back up with X's final girl, adult film star and aspiring actor Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), who has finally made it to Hollywood. She may not have left her bloody past entirely behind her, though, as a serial killer is stalking the streets of LA and targeting young women. Alongside Goth (who also played Pearl in X and its subsequent prequel), Halsey, Elizabeth Debicki, Lily Collins, and Kevin Bacon joined the franchise for round three.
MaXXXine is out now in theaters. For more, check out our guide to the best upcoming horror movies still on the way in 2024.
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