4K Ultra HD Review – MaXXXine (2024)

      MaXXXine, 2024.

      Written and Directed by Ti West.

      Featuring Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon, Chloe Farnworth, Deborah Geffner, Sophie Thatcher, Cecilia Yesuil, Kim Charley, Rowan McCain, Susan Pingleton, Uli Latukefu, Ned Vaughn, Larry Fessenden, Marcus LaVoi, and Charley Rowan McCain.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Set in the 1980s Hollywood, adult film actress and aspiring star Maxine Minx finally gets her significant opportunity. However, as a mysterious murderer hunts the starlets of Hollywood, a blood-soaked path threatens to expose her dark history.

      Some directors have a fixation on specific time periods, and Ti West embraces 1985 with the excitement of someone sifting through the last surviving VHS tapes in an impending rental store closure. MaXXXine, the concluding chapter of his X trilogy, ventures into the seediest parts of Hollywood with an intense fascination that almost feels like affectionate parody. Nevertheless, while the grime-coated glamour and synth-laden bravado create a potent mix, the film sometimes appears to concentrate more on its environment than the protagonist.

      We find Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) one year after the brutal events of X. She has clawed her way up from a Texas backroom adult film shoot to the edges of legitimate fame, securing her first studio role in The Puritan 2. Hollywood calls, and West depicts the city as a neon-hued maze filled with adult theaters, peep shows, whispering streets, and studio lots where uncertain ambitions fester. It is, in many ways, the most intricate playground of the trilogy.

      As Maxine approaches fame, two threats appear. One is a private investigator, played with confidence by Kevin Bacon, who exudes charm and swagger. The other threat is the Night Stalker, whose murders inch closer to Maxine. This setup hints at a clever, pulpy mix of Hollywood myth-making and slasher dynamics. However, while West’s attention to period detail is excellent, the narrative itself seldom goes deeper than the surface.

      Goth once again anchors the film with her intense performance. Maxine remains brittle, driven, and resolute, but the script gives her fewer emotional layers than X or Pearl provided. While Pearl’s internal struggles erupted in poignant monologues, Maxine’s psyche is presented in broad strokes. She moves like someone driven solely by ambition, which is coherent dramatically but less captivating. Goth does her best, oscillating between hardened determination and a wounded desire for recognition, yet the film tends to drift away from her in favor of its own stylistic indulgences.

      The supporting cast helps to fill the gaps created by the narrative's detachment. Elizabeth Debicki gives a dry, commanding performance as the director trying to mold Maxine into a star, while Giancarlo Esposito takes a bold departure from type as a brash Hollywood agent. However, Bacon truly steals the show. There’s a playful mischief every time he enters the scene, grounding the sleaze in a danger that the film occasionally strives for but doesn't always attain.

      When MaXXXine leans into its violent moments, West exhibits the same gleeful malice seen in X. Several killings are shocking enough to jolt audiences, and the film’s climactic chaotic explosion provides the trilogy’s most unabashedly crowd-pleasing segment. Yet, between these moments, the narrative leans heavily on homage. References to De Palma, giallo cinema, Vice Squad, and VHS sleaze are not just allusions; they are integral to the film. At times, this reliance on references substitutes for depth.

      Second Sight’s 4K release makes a compelling case for the film as a visual experience, even when it falters in narrative coherence. The native 4K presentation incorporates digital grain to replicate the rough texture of 1980s low-budget filmmaking, and the result is surprisingly authentic. The color palette differs significantly from Pearl: with thinner blacks, a cool blue tint, and splashes of red flooding the frame like spilled neon. Detail is exceptional, especially in the practical effects, and the encoding is solid, preserving the film’s jittery aesthetic with precision. The Atmos audio delivers impactful bass, clear electronic cues, and lively surround sound, although the overhead layer feels more subdued than anticipated. The disc's extras, including several new interviews and a fresh commentary, add genuine value and give the release the stature of a definitive edition.

      MaXXXine is a stylish and chaotic spectacle with moments of brilliance but feels oddly lacking as a finale to the trilogy. It entertains, dazzles, and sometimes shocks, but struggles to match the quality of its predecessors. Nonetheless, Goth remains captivating, and Second Sight’s release allows the film to shine