If there is something to be valued about horror films, it is their ability to throw up surprises and new, unexpected successes. Unlike other popular genres, it does not seem to constantly need to rescue old franchises from decades ago, being able to constantly find new sagas that also present a certain freshness.
In recent years, we have been able to see this with films like X, the beginning of the trilogy that director Ti West has made with actress Mia Goth for the production company A24. A refreshing scourge of creativity full of interesting influencet can be seen on Netflix for a limited time. May 25 is the last day still in the catalog.
The year is 1979. Maxine, an aspiring adult film star, is traveling to shoot a pornographic film with her producer boyfriend, Wayne. Joining him are her burlesque dance partner Bobby-Lynne, Marine Corps veteran Jackson, director RJ, and her quiet girlfriend Lorraine, who will handle the sound.
The group arrives at a farm owned by Howard and Pearl, an elderly couple who have a guest house they have rented for filming. When the owners of the place, who had not been alerted about the use they planned to give to their modest home, discover their intentions, the filming becomes a desperate fight for survival.
West began to draw up this slasher proposal that was going to be marked by other classics of the horror genre, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Psycho, as well as by films that have looked into the world of pornography, such as Hardcore, A Hidden World, or Boogie Night . The visual language of adult cinema was also key to designing this film, which, during its filming, gave rise to a prequel titled Pearl.
‘X’: intense and violent terror
Both films show the way in which the director tries to rethink horror, with a mix of genres and sequences that generate impact in an unconventional way. His use of montage is imaginative and refreshing, giving another air to the scares, and his use of brutal violence is most overwhelming.
This is greatly helped by the fantastic performance of Mia Goth, one of the current queens of the genre and a clear source of inspiration for the director, who has designed an entire trilogy around her as an actress. This is a saga that began in a masterful way with this film, and it is very worth giving it a chance before Maxxxine is released.
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