X (2022 film)

X
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ti West
Written by	Ti West
Produced by	Ti West Jacob Jaffke Kevin Turen Harrison Kreiss
Starring	Mia Goth Jenna Ortega Martin Henderson Brittany Snow Owen Campbell Stephen Ure Scott Mescudi
Cinematography	Eliot Rockett
Edited by	David Kashevaroff Ti West
Music by	Tyler Bates Chelsea Wolfe
Production companies	Little Lamb Mad Solar Productions Bron Studios
Distributed by	A24
Release dates	March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13) (SXSW) March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) (United States)
Running time	106 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$7.2 million[2][3]

X is a 2022 American slasher film written, directed, produced, and edited by Ti West. The plot follows a cast and crew who gather to make a pornographic film on an old couple's rural Texas property but get caught and find their lives at risk. It stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 13, 2022, and was released in the United States on March 18, 2022, by A24. The film received critical acclaim, with praise aimed towards the homage to classic slasher films.

Plot[]

In 1979, aspiring pornographic film actress Maxine Minx embarks on a road trip through Texas with her producer boyfriend Wayne, fellow actors Bobby Lynne and Jackson Hole, director RJ and RJ's girlfriend Lorraine to shoot an adult movie for the booming home video market.

Bobby Lynne and Jackson strike up a romance, while Lorraine is unimpressed with the film's content and RJ's attempts to make it seem like a serious piece of cinema. The group arrives at the farm of Howard and Pearl, an elderly couple whose guesthouse the group intends to shoot the film in. Howard is temperamental towards the group, brandishing a shotgun while Pearl silently stalks Maxine. As filming commences without Howard's knowledge, Maxine is invited inside the couple's home by Pearl, where they have an awkward conversation. Pearl laments her age, expresses jealousy for Maxine's youth, and makes a sexual advance towards her. She later aroused as she watches Maxine have sex with Jackson. Pearl pressures Howard to sleep with her but he refuses, claiming his heart is too weak.

Night falls and the film crew relax in their farmhouse. Lorraine, keen to shed her reputation as a prude and intrigued by the film, offers to participate in the shoot, upsetting RJ. Eventually RJ agrees to shoot a scene between Lorraine and Jackson, but becomes so furious over her betrayal that he attempts to drive away. However, he is stopped by Pearl, who attempts to seduce him; when he rebuffs her, she stabs him to death. Lorraine and Wayne notice RJ is missing and go looking for him. Wayne is killed with a pitchfork in the barn by Pearl. Lorraine is invited into the couple's house by Howard who claims Pearl is missing, and asks Lorraine to retrieve a flashlight from the basement. When she does, Lorraine discovers the rotting corpse of a missing man and attempts to flee, but finds she has been locked in.

Howard approaches the guesthouse and asks Jackson to help him locate Pearl. Jackson finds a submerged car in a pond before Howard shoots him dead, revealing himself to be complicit in Pearl's violent tendencies. In the farmhouse, Lorraine uses a hatchet to break through a panel in the basement door, but Howard bludgeons her, breaking her finger, and forces her back inside. Meanwhile, Pearl enters the guesthouse in a dazed state and climbs into Maxine's bed naked. Maxine awakens and screams, with Bobby Lynne witnessing Pearl fleeing the house. Bobby Lynne follows Pearl outside to the nearby lake and tries to guide her away from the water. Pearl angrily accuses Bobby Lynne of being a whore before pushing her into the lake where she is devoured by an alligator.

Maxine witnesses Pearl and Howard return to the guesthouse and hides under the bed. The elderly couple discusses the murders before having sex. Maxine manages to crawl out of the room and flees to the crew's van, where she finds RJ's corpse, and the keys missing. Armed with a pistol from the van's glovebox, Maxine enters the farmhouse and frees Lorraine, who angrily blames Maxine for what has happened. Lorraine panics and runs out the front door, only to be fatally shot by Howard. As Howard and Pearl begin moving the bodies, intent on framing the crew as intruders on their property, a dying Lorraine startles Howard, who has a heart attack and dies. Maxine retrieves the keys to Howard and Pearl's truck, and attempts to shoot Pearl only to discover her pistol is unloaded. Pearl tries to shoot Maxine, but the force from the shotgun blasts her out of the house and breaks her hip.

As Pearl lays injured outside, she begs Maxine for help. Maxine refuses and as Pearl angrily berates her, Maxine runs her over with the truck, crushing Pearl's head. Maxine drives away from the farm. The next morning, the police arrive at the house to retrieve the bodies. It is revealed that Maxine is the daughter of a conservative Christian preacher, whose speeches were frequently playing on Pearl and Howard's television. The police discover RJ's film camera and speculate about what it contains.

Cast[]

Mia Goth plays dual roles in the film as Maxine Minx, as well as Pearl

• Mia Goth as Maxine Minx / Pearl
• Jenna Ortega as Lorraine
• Martin Henderson as Wayne Gilroy
• Scott Mescudi as Jackson Hole
• Brittany Snow as Bobby-Lynne
• Owen Campbell as RJ Nichols
• Stephen Ure as Howard
• James Gaylyn as Sheriff Dentler

Themes[]

Nate Roscoe of Fangoria wrote in an essay on the film that X exemplifies a modern take on the psycho-biddy horror subgenre, in which aging or elderly women portray grotesque, violent characters. Roscoe also notes that the film's primary theme revolves around aging, youth, and longing over the past.^[4] "Snatching its insp[iration] from the shadiest recesses of art and exploitation, it is the relationship between beauty, aging and self-worth that creeps most conspicuously through the architecture of X."^[4] He also notes that the film presents its antagonist—the murderous Pearl—in a manner that is sympathetic, writing that, at moments, "one can’t help but feel crushingly sorry for this tragic figure."^[4]

Production[]

In November 2020, it was announced that A24 would produce a horror film titled X, which would be directed by Ti West and star Mia Goth, Scott Mescudi and Jenna Ortega.^[5] In February 2021, Brittany Snow joined the cast.^[6]

Principal photography took place from February 16 to March 16, 2021, in New Zealand's North Island.^[7][8]

A number of scenes were shot in and around the city of Whanganui. Production was predominantly based at a farm in the settlement of Fordell, where a large barn was constructed as part of the production.^[9] Photography also took place near the Rangitīkei town of Bulls, where producers made use of an old town hall.^[10]

Music[]

The film's score was composed by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, and features a cover version of "Oui, Oui, Marie" performed by Wolfe, which was released as a digital single on March 11, 2022.^[11]

All tracks are written by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, except where noted.

Release[]

It premiered at the 2022 South by Southwest festival on March 13, 2022.^[12] The film was released in the United States on March 18, 2022.^[13]

Reception[]

Box office[]

In the United States and Canada, X was released alongside Jujutsu Kaisen 0, The Outfit, and Umma, and was projected to gross $2–5 million in its opening weekend.^[14] The film earned an estimated $4.4 million from 2,865 theaters in its opening weekend, finishing fourth. Men made up 55% of the audience during its opening, with those in the age range of 18–34 comprising 73% of ticket sales. The ethnic breakdown of the audience showed that 50% were Caucasian, 22% Hispanic and Latino Americans, 12% African American, and 16% Asian or other.^[15]

Critical response[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 167 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads, "A fresh spin on the classic slasher formula, X marks the spot where Ti West gets resoundingly back to his horror roots."^[16]

Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[17] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 68% positive score, with 45% saying they would definitely recommend it.^[15]

David Sims of The Atlantic called the film a modern classic, comparing it with 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which he felt failed creatively compared to X.^[18]

Prequel[]

In March 2022, it was revealed that a prequel film was shot back-to-back in secret with the first film. Written and directed by Ti West, photography took place in New Zealand, and upon official announcement was already in the post-production stage. Goth will reprise her role as a younger-aged Pearl. A24 produced the project, with Jacob Jaffke, Harrison Kreiss, and Kevin Turen serving as producers, and West, Goth, Mescudi, and Sam Levinson to executive produce.^[19] A sneak peak was also shown in X's post-credits scene for North American releases only.^{[citation needed]}

References[]

External links[]

• X at IMDb