X (Movie Review)

Things can get messy in the pursuit of art. Materials once coveted can be lost in a moment, like paint destined for the canvas, left spilt and pooling on the floor. Cherished relationships can fracture when the appropriate amount of attention is not paid. Even the artist can be prone to self-destructive behavior resulting in output being cut down well before it’s prime. But no matter how good or bad the reception is, it takes courage to create something and release it for the world to observe/critique. Director Ti West is no stranger to a wide variety of opinions of his films. Often structuring his films as slow burns that culminate in a 3rd act which many horror fans would deem “the good stuff”, his work tends to fall into category of “love it or hate it”. With West’s latest, X, he shows an understanding of this while crafting a love letter to filmmaking, outcasts, and the 70’s.

X takes us back in time to Texas, circa 1979. After a bloody cold open, we are introduced to a group of folks setting out to make a pornographic film. The ragtag bunch of smut peddlers consist of blonde bombshell Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow), cocksman Jackson Hole (Kid Cudi), up-and-comer Maxine (Mia Goth), cinematographer and self-proclaimed auteur RJ (Owen Campbell), boom operator/RJ’s girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), and Mathew McConoughey impersonator Wayne (Martin Henderson), who has a lead on the perfect place to shoot their sleazy movie. They pile into a van aptly advertising “Plowing Service”, and head towards their destination, a secluded farm owned by an elderly couple, Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Mia Goth). The group’s true intentions are unknown by their hosts, but their outward appearance earns them a warning to mind their business and not cause any trouble. They quickly get to work with their lurid film as West examines the craft of filmmaking both literally and figuratively. In one of the films most meta moments, a distressed RJ and Lorraine are fighting over the idea of a film suddenly changing halfway through. With this beautifully crafted pivot, X trades in its desire for flesh for one of unmitigated violence.

The rest of the film is a sanguine roller coaster that did not disappoint. West’s slow burn approach works perfectly due to the cast, a meta second act in which the camera points at itself as much as it does at the sordid acts being recorded, and a rousingly gory finale. The kills may be predictable, but the special effects shine in all their goopy, bone-crunching glory. West also employs some very well-crafted editing to keep things interesting. Genre fans will be happy seeing a handful of nods to such classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho as well as Boogie Nights. X manages to maintain a reverence for these films while carving out a place of its own. As much can be said about the visual aesthetic, the soundtrack and score grounds the film firmly in its 70’s roots while seamlessly moving in between tension and a sleazy breathiness that doesn’t let you forget this is an adult affair.

Much will be said about the use of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”, but it was Chelsea Wolfe & Tyler Bates’ score that kept things interesting. They provide an audible interplay that is both lusty and dangerous (if you haven’t heard the haunting glory of Wolfe’s “Oui Oui Marie” yet, please check it out). X’s nod to the films that inspired it, as well as the craft of filmmaking, shine brightly and fortunately are not just the tip of what it has to offer. A solid script, clever editing, and a fully fleshed out cast led by Mia Goth’s wonderfully subtle performance(s) breathe life into what could have been a bare bones slasher flick. With one eye on the past and the other looking forward, West has crafted a gleefully fun, blood-soaked romp that isn’t afraid to make you uncomfortable. Hell, at times it seems to revel at the possibility of making the audience squirm. And let’s not forget RJ's response when he was asked why he was making a porno, “because it is possible to make a good dirty movie.” If I wasn’t a believer before seeing X, I certainly am now.