REVIEW: Maxxxine tried to pay homage to the horror genre, but only disappointed 4a1h4m

After two years of waiting, Maxxine, conclusion of the acclaimed trilogy slasher X hits the big screen, starring, once again, Mia Goth, and directed by IT West. The director was at the helm of other horror films, such as V / H / S (2012) and The Shack from Hell 2 (2009), but were X - The Mark of Death (2022) and Pearl (2022) that gave him the title of darling of the genre and, as a bonus, the responsibility of hold the bar many expectations about the film trilogy.  5x4u

Without further ado, will Maxxine it is good? Did Mia Goth's new film meet the expectations of fans excited for the conclusion of the trilogy? Check out our review Maxxine!

History 1q2o4l

How can you escape trauma after being the only survivor of a massacre, where all your friends were murdered, and having to take justice into your own hands to escape? I don't think there's a way for that to happen, and Maxine (Mia Goth) definitely agrees. 

A few years after this “turbulent” event, the character reappears fighting to get the place in the Sun that she so desires. At this point in her career, she has already built a solid path as an actress in adult films, and is even recognized on the street by fans excited about her performances. But, as Maxine herself says, she won't accept a life she doesn't deserve, and of course, she deserves more.

"Which great actress started her career in horror films?” she asks her friend Leon (Moses Sumney) shortly after receiving the news that she will star in her first work outside the porn industry, the horror film The Puritan 2. This scene, as well as many others that take place behind the scenes of the fictional production, pay homage to the relevance of horror films in the film industry, which has often been diminished, and even ridiculed. 

Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), director of The Puritan 2, who within the plot also directed the prequel, establishes herself as an artist several times, throwing aside the false idea that being linked to horror films is for amateurs. The setting for one of these dialogues is a parking lot. Bates Motel, eternalized in Psychosis, a classic that revolutionized horror in 1960.

But not everything is perfect. Even though she's celebrating her achievement, the ghosts of the past won't leave Maxine alone. The bloody memories torment her at the most inopportune moments, disrupting her relationship with herself and her new job. Even for the young woman, who achieved her dream of starring in Hollywood, living without feeling chills from the terrors she witnessed seems impossible. 

Metalanguage goes beyond the relationship between the horror film we watch, and the one that is happening on the screen itself. Maxine starred in a real horror, and now, having to play one, it seems that fiction is mixing with reality in her head. 

But would the abomination be limited to just your thoughts? Like an inexplicable nightmare that chose the worst time to come to life, a serial killer terrorizes the city, murdering young women and leaving marks on the daily lives of the population, including Maxine. 

What does the titled Night Stalker would it have to do with Maxine? She doesn't know, however, the police have noticed that the blood trail always ends up pointing to the girl. And the protagonist, in the midst of it all, finds herself torn between her career, the traumas that haunt her, and the danger lurking in the city's new killer.

Could Maxine be involved in the murders? Will she be able to deal with her traumas and finally become a big movie star?

Review 2dd3d

A24's new film seeks to explore the protagonist's life and who she became after experiencing the horrors of X. Here, she is more mature, reserved and cautious, trying not to get involved in problems, and leave the past in its place: buried six feet off the ground.

The pace of the film can be strange because of this. We don't know if Maxine is planning something or is just feeling numb, and in some aspects this doubt fits like a glove, but in other moments the reticence goes beyond the point and dampens the temperature of the suspense. This is not necessarily bad, but it is a different aspect from the previous films and causes some strangeness for those who were positively impressed by the pace of the film. X e Pearl.

In of development, the film does well, but without exceptional factors. The 80s setting and neo-noir style were fun to watch, providing a welcome contrast to the ultra bloody and gore. Classic elements such as the “weird” framing, the contrasting photography making interesting shadow plays, and the immersive soundtrack are also present.

So far so good, the mysterious aura is part of neo-noir films, and the duality of the characters makes the works more attractive. We never know what they are really thinking, what they are feeling and what they will do next, their attitudes can also be doubtful and difficult to understand. 

This cadence takes a while to engage, but when it does, it works well. Halfway through the film, the entire theater was already holding Maxine's hand, bleached eyebrows and all. 

[MAY CONTAIN PLOT REVELATIONS FROM HERE]

But the third act changes everything. The conclusion to the problem was given suddenly, and explained “anyway”. It was inserted suddenly, in a burst that did not do justice to the pace of the film until then. The impression was that they invested so much time and intellectual development in the new Maxine, that they forgot that the film needed a worthy ending. 

When the trailer was announced, the hook of mixing true crime with fiction seemed very appealing and promising. “Damn, they're going to do great on this one.", I thought. I was already engineering possible connections between the real Night Stalker and the fictional Maxine. In this text here, I even came up with a theory that Maxine could be one of the killer's victims, since one of the first women to suffer at the hands of the serial killer was also named Maxine.

A tragicomic fact about Maxxxine was that, in the movie theater, the screening reel had a sequence of “chokes”, just when the film began to fall apart. I, and people around me, were already thinking that this was part of the production. “Okay, that's the answer, it was all just a mistake by the film itself! Too smart!“. And no, it wasn't. It was just a mistake. Among many of this outcome.

Maxxxine, in the end, was a rollercoaster with many exciting twists, which, right before the last loop, suffered a technical failure that caused the cart to break down, and forced everyone to finish the journey on foot. 

Actuations 3v2052

We had big names in the cast, like Kevin Bacon, Lily Collins, Halsey, Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale. However, other cast had more prominence — and screen time.

Mia Goth 4f411a

The granddaughter of Brazilian actress Maria Gladys is an event in the X trilogy. Mia Goth created her brand by playing Maxine in X e Pearl, and the duality of neo-noir was very well executed by her in Maxxxine. However, even though the actress is a very accurate figure in psychological horror films, her talent was not enough to save the film's execution.

She managed to shine in some parts, but the rest of the script didn't contemplate her as much as it could have. 

Elizabeth Debicki 2y161o

Elizabeth Debicki played Princess Diana in the acclaimed series The Crown (2016), and his participation in the film left many fans excited. Her character, director of the film that Maxine would star in, did not benefit her much. Even though Elizabeth played the director, also called Elizabeth, with the necessary aplomb, there was a lack of depth. 

Giancarlo Esposito tq1y

Giancarlo Esposito gave life to Teddy, Maxine's agent, a character far below his abilities. He was extremely captivating comic relief, but expendable for the story. In any case, all the charisma was the merit of Esposito, who after Breaking Bad., B e The Boys, has already established himself as an actor capable of engaging any audience. 

Soundtrack 6x2vx

The soundtrack was produced by A24 Music, and composed by Tyler Bates, the same person who composed the soundtrack X, Pearl, John Wick 4: Baba Yaga, and was involved in the soundtrack of the great icon of cinema soundtracks, Guardians of the Galaxy. 

The soundtrack mixes deep and intense ambient sounds to accentuate the noir suspense with pleasant and lively 80s music. The perfect touch to situate the plot of the protagonist lost and immersed in chaos, while at the same time highlighting the madness of the XNUMXs, with parties fueled by alcohol, drugs and promiscuity. 

Conclusion a5r1x

The hype generated by X e Pearl unfortunately had a negative impact Maxxine. Perhaps, without the high expectations of the previous films, Maxxxine could have had more room to shine. You could say it was a great success IT West in the first two films, or a huge mistake in the last one.

In conclusion, Maxxine It's a good film to enjoy with an empty mind. We are talking about an A24 release, so, even with our backs, we know that it is almost impossible for a film from the producer to be bad, especially with Mia Goth in the cast. 

Where to watch 6f1a12

Maxxine premieres on 11/07/2024 in all national cinemas. There is still no release date on streaming platforms. 

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