I felt a little funny watching this movie, but not in the way you’re probably thinking (like when you climbed the rope in gym class). I can’t really argue that this is a bad film. The script is tight. The characters are well written and well acted. The setting is suitably creepy. The gore is shocking and believable. Everything looks great. And when the fit hits the shan, you’re off to the races. Due to the opening half of the film, you really get a feel for these characters, who they are, why they’re doing what they’re doing, and because of that, I’m sure it’ll implore many viewers to feel for them as they meet their ultimate demise. But I didn’t, and I don’t really know why, although I have a theory.
While X is definitely presented as the Mia Goth show playing Maxine, a coked up exotic dancer turned hopeful sexual cinema icon, there’s something about her that just doesn’t work for me. She’s a wonderful actress, and certainly unconventionally attractive in a pixieish sort of way, and her dual role performance here (she also plays the elderly Pearl) is something to be respected — but I’m not sure she possesses the gravitas (for me at least) to carry a film like this. I don’t find the character of Maxine to be all that likable or compelling. I’d argue she’s the least likable of the entire band of degenerates she’s apart of.
Maxine’s likability is, perhaps, by design. In fact, I’m sure of it. X presents itself as a film with a clear vision, so I find it hard to believe that her inability to ingratiate herself to her audience (or at least me) is by accident. When compared to the bubbly and charismatic Bobby-Lynne (played by Brittany Snow) or the understated and impressionable Lorraine (played by current Hollywood it girl, and for good reason, Jenna Ortega), Maxine just comes across as the least attractive (personality wise) of the three that I’d want to root for. Hell, I was even rooting more for Pearl by the end of the film over Maxine. And maybe that’s the point, and I’m just having a hard time deciding if I like that aspect or not. Maybe with time my mind will settle and I can revisit the film with a better understanding and be able to enjoy the show as intended. Time will tell.
I don’t want to forget to mention how much I enjoyed the performances of Martin Henderson as the surprisingly lovable Wayne. A clear conman, living by a set of ethics that fall just outside of what polite society would consider proper (or maybe way outside), but he’s not a bad guy. He too is just a middle-aged dreamer looking for his shot to make it. Martin infuses so much personality and genuine charm in this scumbag character that his ultimate fate hit hardest for me. Kid Cudi also does a good job playing the somewhat stoic Jackson. West is good at giving him just enough of a backstory (he was a Marine, which explains his stoic nature), and moments of real compassion to make him compelling.
Overall, I have to give X its flowers as a well-made, wonderfully acted and written film. West continues to impress as he seems to get better with each outing (he’s come a long way from his ABC’s of Horror days). The only hitch in this giddy-up is my struggle to determine if Mia Goth’s Maxine is a home run or a swing and a miss. My inability to determine this forces me to give it lower marks, but I’d still recommend it to anyone that wants to see a well-made film, especially those who are already fans of Goth. I suspect this may be one that I’ll have to revisit down the road, or perhaps after I see its prequel, Pearl, or the forthcoming sequel, MaXXXine. We shall see.
If you’re still reading this, thank you! I’m J. Kern Radtke, the Reformed Movie Geek telling you to never settle for a life you don’t deserve.
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