Directed By Ti West

Starring – Jenna Ortega, Mia Goth, Brittany Snow

The Plot – In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and adult language

X | Official Trailer HD | A24 – YouTube

POSITIVES

For everything that “X” lacks in originality in paying homage to some of the classics of the genre like “Psycho” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, it more than makes up for with a buffet of carnage, untimely thrills, and picturesque technique that makes for one of the more transformational experiences thus far in 2022. Ti West is the man to thank for such, building up suspense and lingering shots that anticipate the impending danger, but with the occasional slight deviation to constantly keep you guessing. West clearly has done his homework on 70’s cinema, with strange transitional edits, expanding establishing shots, and even the occasional on-screen cigarette burns to give the film a grimy, grungy depiction that plays all the more fluently towards the film’s visual feast. On that achievement, the production value for the film, while deceivingly simplistic on a surface level in its presentation, does entail more than a few admirable qualities that help seamlessly breed authenticity and believability in the reach of its artistic integrity. The production value in front of the camera can be seen everywhere, from dated product labels to faithful fashion trends, to even the consistency of its timely soundtrack, which when coupled with an unnerving musical score from Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, crafts an inescapable dread and atmospheric tension for the way it minimizes music and maximizes distorted voices to craft something eerily creepy in return. Likewise, the cinematography from Eliot Rockett is spectacular, balancing the two sides of the story, reality and fictional, with a deviation on aspect ratios and slight color deviations that not only conjure up a faithful approach to the cinematic age they’re spoofing, but also in playing to the shock factor of the gruesome imagery, which sometimes feel surreal in the way it surmises. Speaking of which, the film thankfully keeps away from predictable jump scares in order to flesh out violence and gore in a way that surprises and undermines audience expectation, all in the realm of a series of riveting payoff’s that tickle and test your stomach tastefully throughout. The gore is realized entirely with practical effects, giving it a rich texture that feels all the more effective with the way it paints influence like a painting on various screencaps. Likewise, the make-up and prosthetics are Oscar-worthy, transforming Goth’s secondary character with an appearance that completely wipes away familiarity in the distinguishing features of the easily identifiable actress. The skin stretches with a palpable amount of heft and influence on its movements, and the intentionally patchy wig work ages their appearance to perfection in a way that C.G artificiality still hasn’t found a way to faithfully represent. As for the script, the film is very much a slow burn unraveling narrative throughout the first half of its 100-minute run time, requiring such to flesh out the balance of the group’s ensuing characterization, but also in the motive and corresponding message for the film, whose depth I truly wasn’t expecting. This helps to transition the film from a forgettable splatter fest to something sincerely more profound in both the objectification of pornography, but also the objectification of the elderly in society, with much evidence in the movie’s script pointing to moments of vulnerability and humility to drive their ensuing rage. These are enhanced with the range of performances, particularly from Goth, whose two-for-one work here not only supplants her best dramatic work to date as an actress, but illustrates a character above all else who feels human, and not cool for the sake of the screen or a marketing trailer. Brittany Snow is also a breath of fresh air as a bubbly blonde with her work in pornography constantly on the mind. This would often limit her character conventionally in a way that audiences can often interpret ten minutes before an action actually materializes, but her character surprisingly has a refreshing view of the world that paints some unique perceptions bearing more than a few compelling truths and focal talking points, to which the movie uses to appropriately steer its narrative at the forefront of the movie’s conflict.

NEGATIVES

Though A24 has made it a point to deviate away from conventional cinema as best as they can, especially in the realm of its horror projects, “X” is one movie where it couldn’t elude such plights with convenience or dumbed-down character decisions that feel only there to keep the engagement moving. The latter is especially disappointing when the movie goes out of its way throughout to flesh these protagonists out with a mental stimulation that nearly reaches that of their sexual prowess, but a few scenes later it’s all for nothing, as their characters find themselves overwhelmed by odds that they could easily overcome with a minute of thought out intelligence. In addition to this, the ending itself, while satisfying for the finality in the way it resolves matters throughout each of these dynamics, did feel a bit underwhelming compared to some of the bigger moments of shock and awe littered casually throughout the second and third acts. Most of the film feels like it’s constantly building to this inevitable confrontation during the movie’s climax, but it comes and goes so abruptly that there’s never a chance for the audience to urgently invest into it, and when combined with a resolution that is more than a bit comedic in the way it bluntly turns the tables, underwhelms during its most memorable moment.

OVERALL

A24 and West captivate with another profoundly rich and artistically evocative story that supplants meaning to the mayhem of its grotesque horror, while paying homage to Grindhouse grandiose that felt catered to endless thrills and sexual tantalization of the most pandering kind. Though inevitably not a film that will be for everyone, “X” does subscribe itself to the rarity of the unexpected, giving it a fearless exuberance that it never shies away from, despite how uncomfortable its pushing of the envelope will leave you.

My Grade: 8/10 or B+