Reviews
[REVIEW] ‘MaXXXine’ Brings a Fun, Off-Kilter Closer to the X Trilogy
After a blood-curdling ordeal at a farmhouse in Texas, adult film star Maxine Minx’s road to true Hollywood stardom has been paved with nothing but trauma and blood. Still recovering from her encounter with Pearl and Howard Douglas in X, Maxine finally gets a chance to work on an actual Hollywood production: a B-movie horror sequel called The Puritan II. But amidst her change in luck is a series of mysterious murders plaguing Los Angeles, putting Maxine in the crosshairs of cops and private eyes, while the movements of the infamous Night Stalker set the city, and her hopes of getting the life she deserves, ablaze.
After a blood-curdling ordeal at a farmhouse in Texas, adult film star Maxine Minx’s road to true Hollywood stardom has been paved with nothing but trauma and blood. Still recovering from her encounter with Pearl and Howard Douglas in X, Maxine finally gets a chance to work on an actual Hollywood production: a B-movie horror sequel called The Puritan II. But amidst her change in luck is a series of mysterious murders plaguing Los Angeles, putting Maxine in the crosshairs of cops and private eyes, while the movements of the infamous Night Stalker set the city, and her hopes of getting the life she deserves, ablaze.
I was initially unsure of how MaXXXine would pan out, partly because of some bad feedback I saw of the film, and partly because I was worried it would hydroplane into some weird true crime stuff, given the mentions of the Night Stalker in promotional materials. Thankfully it doesn’t, not in the slightest. But, as the classic song “Bette Davis Eyes” played over the credits, I was left thinking one thing: people will either love this or hate this—no middle ground.
Having now seen it and seen people actually arguing leaving the theatre over the film, I can say, yeah, it’s not going to be for everyone. But for whom the Minx bell tolls, it tolls hard and wild. For me, it is a solid little movie that throws caution to the wind and becomes something pretty interesting because it’s slightly removed from its origins.
A STRAIGHTFORWARD CONTINUATION OF X, BUT A TONAL DEPARTURE
Though it is a continuation of the story that started in X, MaXXXine feels less like a cohesive third in the triad of films about scorned young women with dreams they’ll stop at nothing to attain. MaXXXine will divide audiences because of how radical the tonal change is from the preceding duology. This film is downright cartoonish at points, since it abandons hagsploitation and old Hollywood for an insane, snow-fueled ride into 80s mayhem.
I was fond of Pearl more than X because it was Ti West getting out of his usual mumbly zone of dark visuals and exploring old Hollywood’s technicolor glory days for what they really were: an unreal diversion built during a much bleaker time in history. I expected MaXXXine to dive more into those depths of unreality, something X and Pearl held as secondary to the film’s much more interesting conversations about sex, gender, and the breakdown of traditional American life in the post-war period, with all the byproducts that came with it (including the rise of modern Evangelical and fundamentalist movements).
MaXXXine, however, is much more interested in discussing that last topic, even coming with a handy montage at the beginning of the film to set the mood of a hazy, heat-stricken city clutched by the pangs of Reaganomics and Satanic Panic. That isn’t to say the film doesn’t have heavy thematic ties to the two movies that came before it (after all, all three are meant to invoke each other), but MaXXXine doesn’t mirror them as starkly as they mirror each other.
It’s in how MaXXXine explores these themes that it really lets you know: this is not a film-grain-pocked granny slasher contemplating aging, or a vibrant character study draped in a faded red white and blue dream. This is a fun, wild movie mocking the insanity of the era’s politics and supplementing it with gory, giallo-inspired horror.
TI WEST LOVES OLD HORROR (AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW IT)
That giallo aspect, of course, is a lot of aesthetic exercises in lighting and odd camera angles from Ti West and director of photography Eliot Rockett. The duo have worked well together for ages now, so why fix what isn’t broken right?
The film’s story is structured as a classic murder mystery would be, but takes plenty of pitstops exploring old horror in its many references and tributes: The Exorcist series, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Blood and Black Lace, Pieces, and Psychoall get their due with West pouring out his admiration for the people who made those films with every flex of his cinematic muscles.
That’s not even getting into the fact that the special effects in this film are pure heat, with lots of practical effects that ooze blood as much as they ooze an appreciation for the craft. The way Weta managed to replicate the look of that bright red, paint-y blood used in 80s B-horror is so unserious-looking but so screen-accurate that I can’t help but love it.
MIA GOTH DELIVERS, BUT WITHOUT THE SAME SHINE SEEN IN PEARL
Of course, I can’t rule out the possibility this was all meant to be taken deadly serious and the film is not meant to be humorous. But I find that hard to believe given, in addition to the above factors, everybody in this movie is playing into the heightened character archetypes they’re assigned: the macho Los Angeles detective, the sleazy private eye, the hardass auteur director, everyone is playing a stock character in one way or another (albeit, fun ones and they’re doing a great job of it). Maybe the only one who isn’t is Mia Goth in the title role. Playing a stock character, that is, she’s still pretty good in this.
In X, Mia Goth had a brilliant double role as both villain and victim and got to showcase an incredible amount of talent with her physical acting as an aged Pearl. In the prequel, Goth had a sort of Vampire’s Kiss era Nicholas Cage charm; she was completely and utterly unhinged, but that virulent madness of hers was robed in a magnetism that most people couldn’t avoid being hooked by.
The Maxine she portrays in this film skews more towards her work in Pearl, but never really hits the same peaks of the buck-wild screaming she does at the projectionist or her hypnotizing speech to Mitsy in Pearl. She still has some incredible moments here though, with my favorite being a scene early on confronting a would-be attacker and holding nothing (and I mean absolutely nothing) back.
WHAT’S THE VERDICT FOR THE MOST UNIQUE SEQUEL THIS YEAR?
So, the bottom line you might be asking after all this is, “Should I go see it?”. For what it’s worth, I think it’s an obvious yes. But the major caveat you should have sussed out by now is that you should not go into this expecting anything like the previous two films. I would go so far as to say this is probably going to be the Scream 3 of Ti West’s filmography for how polarizing it is; if you like it, you love it, and if you don’t like it, you’ll want to burn down all the studios in Hollywood over it yourself. Unfortunately, I like Scream 3 a lot, so interpret that info as you will.
MaXXXine is a unique little follow-up to X and Pearl, with just the right wild cinematography and just the right wild performances to make it work. And it’s an hour and forty-four minutes of fun on tap– as long as you’re willing to indulge in something a little different, and willing to shed some notions of what your ideal X sequel “should” look like.
Within the found footage subgenre exists an even more niche and untapped market. Screen life has slowly overtaken found footage; hardcore fans, like myself, ache for something different. One of the more interesting sub-subgenres of found footage is something that I don’t think has a name yet, so let’s name it here and now. How about…TV-gone-rogue! The TV-gone-rogue subgenre is small. Ghostwatch got the ball rolling for these gone rogue-like films, but there was radio silence for quite some time. It would be Chris LaMartina’s WNUF Halloween Special that really brought this idea back into the limelight. Many filmmakers have tried to make TV-gone-rogue interesting, and many have failed. That is until Simon Glassman stepped onto the scene with Buffet Infinity.
Buffet Infinity: A Chaotic Tale of Westridge
The town (city?) of Westridge is whisked into chaos when the new Buffet Infinity restaurant rolls into town. Local sandwich shop owner Jennifer Avery (Allison Bench) is the first to take the soon-to-be conglomerate to task with increasingly pointed advertisements. Suddenly, local restaurant owners/workers go missing in droves as Buffet Infinity expands into neighboring businesses. Sinkholes, missing cityfolk, quarantines, and mysterious sounds abound, leaving residents to ask one question…who really has the sauce?
On the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival schedule, the header image for Buffet Infinity shows multiple people T-posing and floating in the sky. I was immediately sold. I had no clue what I was getting into, and I didn’t want to know. The film was introduced as “one of the craziest we have this year.” (Slightly paraphrasing.) What was I about to watch? Little did I know, it was about to be an hour and forty minutes of small-town madness.
Writers Allison Bench and Elisia Snyder, and writer-director Simon Glassman, transport viewers into an upside down world of weaponized local ads; a thriving town invaded by the deep pockets of monopolized capitalism. As someone who grew up in a decently sized town, though probably not large enough to be considered a city, there was a tinge of nostalgia that accompanied Buffet Infinity. Westridge feels cozy and intimate, a town where everyone knows your name. It’s a “baked in a buttery flaky crust” town. Sure, they have their McDonald’s and Burger Kings, but the real townsfolk eat at Jennifer’s sandwich shop–local knitting circles murmur about what they think is in Jennifer’s secret sauce. Simply put, Westridge feels like a home that many people like myself grew up in. And it reminds us of a simpler time that’s long gone.
A Unique Blend of Humor and Eldritch Terror
Buffet Infinity hides its horror well. It slowly guides the viewer into a sense of unease. As easily as the creators have you laughing, they have you squirming. The absurdist joy quickly transforms into Eldritch terrors from beyond. Many filmmakers say they’re inspired by the idea of it’s-not-what-you-see that’s scary, but many times it feels performative. Bench, Glassman, and Snyder have crafted a truly special script that edges you with terror and excitement. They constantly push you to the edge of release, and then back away. It’s the Japanese water torture of exposition. And, for me, it works incredibly well.
One of the most important aspects of Buffet Infinity is the over-capitalization of our lives. While the creators tackle this idea in a tongue-in-cheek manner, their message is highly effective. For the most part. This constant tete-a-tete between Buffet Infinity and the locals is highly amusing, but brings a larger conversation to the forefront. The town I grew up in is a shadow of what it once was. And I know many feel the same about the towns they grew up in. I can already hear the moans of people who dislike this film: “Brandon, it’s not that deep.” And I would highly disagree. Buffet Infinity feels like a reflective protest film–a loud and proud middle finger at what we should have said when the Super Walmart put mom and pops out of business.
Sorry, this review has gone off the rails. Let’s reel it back in a bit.
Why Buffet Infinity Redefines Found Footage
Buffet Infinity is a riotous romp, a hilarious horror that goes from zero to 100 pretty damn fast. Each commercial slowly builds on its last and uniquely tells its story. This film sets a new precedent for the TV-gone-rogue subgenre. Not to directly compare, but a film like WNUF Halloween Special (a film I love) uses its commercials as a coda; it’s a separation of what you saw/heard and prepares you for the next movement. Buffet Infinity uses its commercial to create the story. Instead of watching news pieces, then irrelevant commercials, then back to news pieces, Buffet Infinity breaks the mold. Hell, it creates the mold.
As someone who has been dying to see a Welcome to Nightvale film, Buffet Infinity is the closest thing I could ask for. It is full of killer performances (looking at you, Ahmed Ahmed), is well-crafted, and sets a new precedent on an underutilized side of found footage. Buffet Infinity is a full-course meal. I highly suspect that Buffet Infinity will gather the unwavering support that Hundreds of Beavers gathered and will go on to be considered an instant classic of the 2020s.
We are all very much aware of how much time we spend on our phones. More importantly, anyone on the internet can see how younger generations are impacted by being constantly online. So, Zack Ogle and Aaron Pagniano’s new film, It Needs Eyes, is preaching to the choir. However, it adds creepy layers to the conversations many of us are already having today.
It Needs Eyes follows a teen named Rowan (Raquel Lebish) who is moving in with her aunt after a traumatic event. Her aunt Mella (Lydia Fiore) hasn’t spoken to the family in years. So, her relationship with her niece is strained to say the least. However, she has stepped in now that Rowan’s father is in the hospital. Further widening their divide is the fact that Rowan is glued to her phone.
The Internet Is Scary
We see Rowan watching random videos, as she tries to distract herself from her own thoughts while she worries about her father. However, soon, cat videos aren’t doing it for her, and she starts to find extreme videos online. Things escalate to the point that she is watching self-harm videos and clips of people dying. This addiction begins to make it hard for her to connect with the people around her, including her new neighbor and love interest, Alex (Isadora Leiva).
It Needs Eyes has a protagonist that many can relate to. After all, aren’t we all using these smart devices to hide from our own problems? Who among us hasn’t lost an embarrassing amount of hours watching videos and reels? However, because it’s driving in the internet addiction lane, Rowan’s need for content escalates. She needs darker videos in the same way that someone makes the leap into harder drugs. Her journey parallels nicely with her father’s battle with addiction, which is one of the many things Rowan doesn’t seem ready to face.
Addiction and Loneliness are a Deadly Combo
Rowan’s addiction, loneliness, and inability to fully connect with people not on her phone eventually leads her to stumble across the ultimate score. She discovers a woman named Fishtooth (Lola Blanc) who made videos in the 80s and seemingly disappeared. Rowan cannot let this mystery go and soon begins to follow clues that Fishtooth may be closer than she thinks. This is where the creepy mystery thread begins to weave itself around all of the other threads of the film. Before Fishtooth was introduced, I was starting to worry this movie would just be seven fucked up images in a trench coat.
It Needs Eyes is one of those movies you go back and forth on. I loved discussing the themes of it in the bar after the Brooklyn Horror Film Fest screening. I even really dug some of the twisted imagery and topics it manages to tackle. The movie deserves some respect for how it handles so many issues surrounding internet culture without straying too far from its path. If you’re looking for a dark exploration of how the internet is absorbing us and preventing us from being present in our actual lives, this is your movie. It’s an interesting and at times disturbing reminder that we should all unplug more often.
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Brooklyn Horror Film Fest 2025: ‘It Needs Eyes’ Review
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