Two years after X and its prequel Pearl introduced us to Maxine Minx, Mia Goth is back to wrap up the trilogy of her budding adult film star in MaXXXine. The upcoming horror movie from writer/director Ti West is a direct sequel to X, sticking Maxine in 1980s Los Angeles following the massacre in Texas. MaXXXine hits theaters July 5, and those who have caught an early screening are taking to social media with their first reactions. It seems they all think the film provides a fitting end to the trilogy.
With the first two offerings in the series considered among the best of A24 horror, expectations for the threequel are pretty high. Adding to the excitement is the cast that will surround Mia Goth, as big names like Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale and more join the franchise. The trailer for MaXXXine looks downright sleazy, and that’s a word that comes up several times in moviegoers’ initial thoughts. Junior Felix of That Hashtag Show writes:
The Hollywood Handle agrees MaXXXine is a fitting end to Max Minx’s story — even if a fourth installment could happen — providing more of what we’ve come to expect from Mia Goth and A24 in general. The site tweets:
Courtney Howard likes the bite of satire infused into this third installment, and it sounds like re-familiarizing yourself with the first two movies wouldn’t be a bad idea in order to pick up on the fun references. The critic says:
Genre-wise it sounds like MaXXXine takes a step in the direction of thriller, rather than straight horror. Russ Milheim of The Direct likes the new aesthetic, saying Ti West’s latest project strikes a refreshing tone. In the critic’s words:
Simon Thompson agrees the threequel brings something new to the franchise and even leans into the Satanic panic of that era. The critic writes:
As for how the 1980s slasher stacks up against its predecessors, some people are listing it as their least favorite of the three; however, none of them think that should deter moviegoers. Says Jamie Jirak of ComicBook.com:
Film critic Jeff Nelson praises Mia Goth’s performance and agrees with others that it’s a great end to the trilogy. Nelson tweets:
Others are also praising the lead actress — no question that she’s a star — as well as those around her including Elizabeth Debick and Kevin Bacon (who one critic described as “delicious.”) Anthony Gagliardi of The Movie Podcast wraps up why fans of this series should be excited, as he says:
With X and Pearl being celebrated as two of the best horror movies of this decade, it’s no surprise that there’s so much hype surrounding the latest project from Ti West. Mark your calendar if you want to catch this when it hits theaters on Friday, July 5, and not only can you check out all of the upcoming A24 movies, but be sure to take a glimpse at everything that’s hitting the big screen soon with our 2024 movie release calendar.