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X
USA 2022
produced by Jacob Jaffke, Harrison Kreiss, Kevin Turen, Kid Cudi (executive), Dennis Cummings (executive), Ashley Levinson (executive), Sam Levinson (executive), Karina Manashil (executive), Peter Phok (executive) for BRON Studios, MAD SOLAR/A24
directed by Ti West
starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, James Gaylyn, Simon Prast, Geoff Dolan, Matthew J. Saville, Bryony Skillington
written by Ti West, music by Tyler Bates, Chelsea Wolfe
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review by Mike Haberfelner
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1979, rural USA: A small film team - producer Wayne (Martin Henderson),
director/cinematographer RJ (Owen Campbell), his girlfriend and sound girl
Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) and performers Jackson (Kid Cudi), Maxine (Mia
Goth) and Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) - have rented the guest house of an
old farm to shoot a film ... and of course they've neglected to tell
elderly farmowner Howard (Stephen Ure) that it's going to be a porn movie.
Now things are a bit awkward from the beginning, as RJ wants to make art
out of a simple skinflick, Lorraine at first feels uncomfortable with all
the sex going on around her but ultimately asks if she may perform in a
scene with Jackson as well - which is welcomed enthusiastically by
everyone but RJ -, and Maxine has a weird run in with Howard's wife Pearl
(also Mia Goth). Things really start to get weird at night though, when
RJ, overcome by jealousy, makes an attempt to drive off but is shot dead
instead, Pearl sneaks into the guest house - and one by one the cast and
crew is killed in gruesome manners, mostly before they even realize what's
going on. Eventually, only Maxine remains alive, as apparently the killers
- Howard and Pearl of course - have special plans for her ... Now
the film has lots going for it, from the fact that it gets its period
right and serves as a nice homage to 1970s porn, to some really nice jump
scares, and just the right amount of gruesomeness for a film of its ilk.
And even though the actual killings don't set in until about halfway
through, the film's anything but boring during its lengthy set-up, also
thanks to some fun characters and the right amount of irony. But in all,
the film doesn't succeed in delivering anything more than a routine
slasher story, and one that's actually a bit on the random side. Good
genre entertainment still, but at the end it leaves one somewhat empty as
after the set-up one was expecting a little more than just another
slasher.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
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