If you missed Ti West’s epic conclusion to his X trilogy in theaters earlier this year, fear not, because MaXXXine is hitting streaming next month just in time for Halloween. Featuring Mia Goth as the titular starlet, the film follows her character of Maxine Minx as she tries to reach new heights of stardom in 1985 Los Angeles, only to be caught up in a bloody trail of murder that threatens her hopes and dreams.
Per Bloody Disgusting, MaXXXine will make its streaming debut on Max beginning Friday, October 18, followed by its linear premiere on HBO on October 19. In addition to Goth, the film also features a star-studded ensemble cast composed of the likes of Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, Halsey, and Michelle Monaghan. It serves as a direct sequel to 2022’s X, whereas Pearl (also 2022) acted as a prequel to both movies.
Setting a franchise record by earning $21.5 million dollars at the box office, MaXXXine was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, earning the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of the series. With X certified fresh at 94% and Pearl at a 93%, MaXXXine only managed to garner a 73% rating, with MovieWeb’s own Will Sayre saying in his review: “West’s latest feature may lose out to Pearl in terms of timeless, hard-hitting material, but thrives on offering a unique blend of genres and subgenres.”
Yasser Medina from Cinefilia wasn’t as kind, saying, “Aside from its stylized aesthetic that faithfully reproduces 1980s American culture, it is a slasher horror film that lacks some punch in its violent chronicle about the price of fame.” Adam Nayman of The Ringer echoed those sentiments, adding, “MaXXXine’s resolution is merely predictable—and disappointing given the larger intimations of some grand narrative design.” Of course, fans who have yet to see West’s final installment in the X trilogy (or is it?) can judge for themselves whether it’s a worthy conclusion when it hits streaming next month.
Have We Seen the Last of Mia Goth as Maxine Minx?
With the ambiguous ending to MaXXXine, many fans have been left wondering if it is, indeed, the end of an era, or if West has plans to direct a fourth installment. While he did state earlier this year that yes, he does have ideas for how the trilogy could continue, we’ve most likely seen the end of the Maxine saga, meaning that any future films in the franchise will probably feature all new characters to potentially act as a spinoff in some way.
That being said, in a Reddit AMA last month, West remarked that he would enjoy working once more with Goth on future projects, though he did take the opportunity to double down on the fact that we have seen the last of Maxine Minx.
Would love to keep working with Mia. X trilogy prob done though. Happy with where we left it.
In the horror world, fans know to never say never, but for now it looks as if Ti West is moving on from the trilogy that made him famous. While his IMDb page has nothing listed as upcoming, it would be nice if his next project were a standalone film hearkening back to The House of the Devil or The Innkeepers, two amazing genre movies that told self-contained stories, and deserve way more recognition than they get from mainstream audiences.