---
title: "MaXXXine"
year: 2024
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/maxxxine"
fi1m_id: "maxxxine"
imdb_id: "tt22048412"
tmdb_id: 1023922
wikidata_id: "Q116032682"
fi1m_score: 58
critics_score: 57
critics_reviews: 16
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:58.974141+00:00"
region: "IN"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# MaXXXine (2024)

Directed by Ti West · 1h 43m · Horror

## Identity

MaXXXine

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/maxxxine
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** maxxxine
- **IMDb ID:** tt22048412
- **TMDB ID:** 1023922
- **Wikidata ID:** Q116032682
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22048412/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1023922, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116032682

**Fi1m score: 58** · Critics 57 from 16 reviews

*In a sentence:* The neon is scarier than the killer, and Kevin Bacon’s suit is scarier than either

> Ti West closes his trilogy with a Hollywood slasher that gets 1985 right in every shop window and never finds a story to walk down the street. Mia Goth is as fierce as before; the film around her is thin, and it is not frightening.

## Synopsis

Los Angeles, 1985. Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), the survivor of the Texas farmhouse in *X*, is working in adult films and has decided she is meant for better. She auditions for *The Puritan II*, a horror sequel directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), and gets the part. A private investigator (Kevin Bacon) begins following her, people she knows start turning up dead, and two detectives (Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale) come asking questions in a city already frightened by a serial killer. Moses Sumney plays her friend Leon, Giancarlo Esposito her agent. Ti West writes, directs and edits.

## Review

Ti West’s third film with Mia Goth picks up Maxine Minx six years after the Texas farmhouse of *X*, in Los Angeles in 1985. She is making adult films and has decided that is beneath her, so she auditions for *The Puritan II*, a horror sequel directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), and gets it. Then a private investigator in a stained suit (Kevin Bacon) starts following her, people she knows begin turning up dead, and the city is already on edge because a serial killer is loose in it. That is the film, and it is the best-looking of the three and the thinnest.

Eliot Rockett shoots Hollywood Boulevard at night in a soft grain with the neon running pink and green into the wet road, and the daytime scenes flat and bleached, so that the whole thing looks like a tape found in the back of a video shop. Jason Kisvarday builds the peep-show booths, the video store where Leon (Moses Sumney) works, and the studio lot, and every sign and poster on every wall is correct. Mari-An Ceo dresses Goth in leather, denim and shoulders. Tyler Bates gives it a synthesiser pulse, and West drops a period song on top whenever a scene needs a lift, which is often.

Goth is the reason to go. She has played this woman across two films now and has found something new in her: a cold patience, a look that measures a room for what it can give her and dismisses whoever cannot help. The audition scene, a monologue delivered in close-up and held for what feels like a full minute without a cut, is the best thing in the film, and it held us completely. For that minute we believed the trilogy was going somewhere.

The script, also West’s, is where it goes wrong. It is a list of appointments. Detective Williams (Michelle Monaghan) and Detective Torres (Bobby Cannavale) turn up after each body, exchange a page of dialogue, and leave. Debicki’s director gets two speeches about making something respectable out of cheap material, which is the film describing itself, and is then largely put away. Giancarlo Esposito plays Maxine’s agent, Teddy Knight, with a suit and a smile both a size too large, and he is fun. Bacon is more than fun: a wheedling drawl, a nose that looks as if it has been broken by professionals, a man who enjoys being disliked. We laughed at him every time he appeared, and somewhere in the second act we noticed we were laughing at the villain and afraid of nobody.

That is the fault. It is a slasher that does not frighten. The killings happen to people we have met for one scene, and they happen quickly, at a distance or in cutaway, so there is a good deal of blood and no dread at all. West edits his own films, and here he cuts between four strands, the production, the police, the investigator and the killer, without letting any of them run long enough to build. The second half takes a turn we will not describe, except to say that we had guessed it in the first act and the film presents it as a revelation. By the last twenty minutes we were not angry, which would at least have been a feeling. We were checking how much was left.

Against the two earlier films it comes off badly. *X* (2022) was one farmhouse, one night and a handful of people, and the small space kept it tight. [*Pearl*](https://film.one/film/pearl) (2022) was one woman in one bright frame and gave Goth a whole film to carry, which she did. *MaXXXine* has the whole of Los Angeles and uses it as a set of references, and it gives Goth less to do than either: things happen to Maxine for most of the running time and she responds to them late. The tagline says Hollywood is a killer. The film agrees and has nothing further to add.

If you saw the first two you will want to see how it ends, and you should, at home, where the neon survives and the thinness is easier to forgive. If you did not, start with *Pearl*. It runs 103 minutes and carries an 18, most of which is blood and little of which is fear.

*Fi1m score 58, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split widely on MaXXXine, and the split is not about Mia Goth. Almost every critic, admiring or not, singles out her performance, and several say it is stronger than the film around it. The praise clusters on the recreation of mid-1980s Los Angeles, the soundtrack and the gore, with the more enthusiastic notices calling it the breeziest and most entertaining of the three.

The reservations cluster on the script: a thin plot, a shortage of tension, and little to say about fame or violence that Pearl had not already said. Film Comment goes further and argues the film shifts attention from its heroine to its director’s own rise, while RogerEbert.com finds Maxine turned into a passive figure in her own story. The Times calls it the flabbiest instalment. Most critics land somewhere between fun and forgettable, with a smaller group at each end pulling hard in opposite directions.

## Straight answers

**Is MaXXXine worth watching?**

*MaXXXine* is worth watching only if you have seen *X* and [*Pearl*](https://film.one/film/pearl) and want to know how the trilogy ends; we scored it 58. Mia Goth is as fierce as before and the 1985 Los Angeles is right in every shop window, but the script is a list of appointments and the film is not frightening. Newcomers should start with *Pearl* instead.

**How long is MaXXXine, and what is it rated?**

*MaXXXine* runs 1h 43m. It is a horror film.

**Where can I watch MaXXXine in India?**

*MaXXXine* is not on any streaming or rental service in India at the moment. It is available in 46 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is MaXXXine, and is it suitable for children?**

*MaXXXine* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. The killings come with a good deal of blood, though they happen quickly, at a distance or in cutaway, so there is more gore than dread. It is set in the adult film business, which is the other reason for the certificate.

**How does MaXXXine compare to Pearl?**

*MaXXXine* is the better-looking film and [*Pearl*](https://film.one/film/pearl) is the better film. *Pearl* is one woman in one bright frame and gives Mia Goth a whole picture to carry, which she does; *MaXXXine* has the whole of Los Angeles, uses it as a set of references, and gives her less to do. If you are only going to watch one, choose *Pearl*.

**What should I watch after MaXXXine?**

After *MaXXXine*, try [*Pearl*](https://film.one/film/pearl) (2022, Fi1m 76): The middle film, and the one where Goth is given a whole picture to carry. Then [*Mulholland Drive*](https://film.one/film/mulholland-drive) (2001, Fi1m 92): A wannabe arrives in Los Angeles and the city eats her; Lynch does it properly; and [*Berberian Sound Studio*](https://film.one/film/berberian-sound-studio) (2012, Fi1m 78): A British horror about making horror, where the industry itself does the frightening.

### Reviews we read (28)

- **Evening Standard**, Nick Howells (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Mia Goth's standout performance as Maxine Minx in this entertaining conclusion to Ti West's trilogy. The film is celebrated for its gleeful gore, memorable cinematic flourishes, and rampantly entertaining schlocky noir style. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/mia-goth-maxxxine-review-ti-west-b1168374.html)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (75/100, inferred): The critic views MaXXXine as a strong, intense woman-fights-back thriller that caps the trilogy with plenty of eye-popping twists and surprises. It singles out the vivid recreation of 1980s Hollywood atmosphere, needle drops, and Easter eggs as particularly effective. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/maxxxine/)
- **Total Film**, James Mottram (70/100, inferred): The review concludes that MaXXXine delivers satisfying carnage and bloodlust for fans of the slasher genre. It highlights the strong mid-80s atmosphere, soundtrack, and Mia Goth's fun, roaring performance as the title character who gives as good as she gets. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/maxxxine-review/)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (60/100, inferred): The critic finds it diverting and fun at times as a retro 1980s sex-and-horror schlock pastiche with a compelling Mia Goth performance, but it is less ambitious and more conventional than 'Pearl'. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-ti-west-1236047926/)
- **Vulture** (50/100, inferred): Notes that Mia Goth's performance is more coherent and triumphant than the film overall, which demonstrates the trilogy never had much depth and feels more like a genre conversation than a story for the audience. Singles out Goth's feral ravenousness for the limelight. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-mia-goth-is-great-but-maxxxine-has-nothing-to-say.html)
- **Film Comment**, Nathan Lee (30/100, inferred): The critic argues that MaXXXine undermines the strengths of X and Pearl by shifting focus away from Mia Goth's lead character toward the director's own industry ascent and flashy resources. It offers rich 1980s LA sleaze but feels thematically thin and less invested in its protagonist. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/everything-is-terrible-a-quiet-place-maxxine-longlegs-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh (30/100, inferred): The critic calls it a flimsy thriller that does not deserve Mia Goth; it offers stylish 1980s references and a strong lead performance but lacks eroticism, thrills, tension, or meaningful substance. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-07-04/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-halsey-elizabeth-debicki-ti-west-horror-a24)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Christy Lemire (30/100, inferred): The critic finds it a crushing disappointment despite the stylish recreation of 1980s Los Angeles, as the film lacks substance or depth beneath the lurid style and turns the protagonist into a passive figure. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/maxxxine-film-review-2024)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (30/100, inferred): The review finds MaXXXine the weakest entry in the trilogy, criticizing its self-congratulatory cleverness, flimsy plot, and lack of new insights on fame or violence. It singles out Mia Goth's vicious, dynamo performance and the copious gore as highlights amid the disappointment. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/maxxxine-review-3131051)
- **Financial Times**, Jonathan Romney: The film is a glossy, gore-splattered entertainment that completes the trilogy ambitiously but falls short of Pearl's boldness. Goth is brazenly likeable as the lead pursuing stardom in a deranged 1980s Hollywood. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/9b8c5183-0d45-4a67-aee9-4d590df2c617)
- **IndieWire**, Alison Foreman: Praises the dazzling and disgusting final chapter as the defining film of Brat Girl Summer where Ti West and Mia Goth crush it. Highlights Goth as A24’s favorite scream queen out for blood in 1985 Hollywood. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/maxxxine-review-ti-west-mia-goth-1235020110/)
- **Sight and Sound**: The third chapter in Ti West’s X trilogy bleeds the franchise dry with a cynical giallo-esque 1980s-styled thriller. It is a witty, gory, coke-fuelled exposé of the Hollywood machine at its most cynically exploitative, where implicit in the rise of every star is an eventual fall. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/maxxxine-gory-self-consciously-derivative-expose-hollywood-machine)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ryan Coleman: Calls it a well-made but forgettable ’80s pastiche that improves on the prior films tonally but fades into the wallpaper compared to horror history or West and Goth’s best work. Singles out Goth emerging unscathed with her best performance since High Life. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-ti-west/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic finds the film an outrageously watchable episode in Ti West's franchise, praising its pulp, gore and self-aware set pieces along with strong supporting performances. Mia Goth returns triumphantly as the ambitious lead. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jun/26/maxxxine-review-a-horribly-watchable-hollywood-tale-of-sex-death-fear-and-gore)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic calls it a glorious paean to 1980s sexploitation and horror that completes the trilogy on a delectable note with vivid period evocation and a deluxe cast. Singles out Mia Goth's magnetic presence as a new breed of scream queen and the loving homage to filmmaking aesthetics. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-ti-west-slasher-trilogy-1235930595/)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★☆☆☆): The film is the flabbiest instalment in the franchise, with too many elements thrown together that fail to cohere. West over-relies on the 1980s Hollywood setting without sufficient payoff. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-vkt9bzrr5)
- **Time Out**, Lou Thomas (4 out of 5 stars): Writer-director Ti West concludes his Mia Goth horror trilogy with a thrilling slasher that’s both fond neon tribute to the genre’s ’80s gory heyday and a brisk, smart look at the role of women and power in Hollywood. Goth again steals the show as the eponymous wannabe on the rise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/maxxxine-review-2024)
- **/Film**, BJ Colangelo (8.5/10): The critic hails it as a transformative feast with an erotic cataclysm of gnarly kills and a powerhouse performance from Mia Goth, praising the authentic 1980s sleaze, strong supporting cast, and Goth's control of the screen. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1610041/maxxxine-review/)
- **Collider**, Emma Kiely (8/10): The review praises it as a loud, bombastic, sexy, bloody farewell to the trilogy, highlighting Mia Goth's star turn and visual flair, though noting the script is straightforward. [Read](https://collider.com/maxxxine-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4/5): The review calls MaXXXine the frothiest and most breezily entertaining entry, a decadent love letter to 1980s Hollywood sleaze and genre excess that revels in its indulgences. Mia Goth delivers a steely, ruthless performance that anchors the film as its not-so-secret weapon. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/maxxxine-review-ti-west-and-mia-goth/)
- **NME**, Paul Bradshaw (4/5): The review praises MaXXXine as gloriously frenetic, with West embracing silly, over-the-top 1980s sexploitation vibes and gore while dissecting film, filth, and feminism. Mia Goth gives one of horror's greatest performances as a ball-stomping survivor. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-3771763)
- **Digital Spy**, Mireia Mullor (65/100, inferred): The critic finds MaXXXine a bloody and messy Hollywood satire blending elements of the prior films with 1970s/80s references, delivering glorious moments alongside chaotic energy and more vibes than substance. Mia Goth remains a consistent force of nature with an astounding performance. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61483167/maxxxine-review/)
- **Consequence**, Clint Worthing (C): The critic finds MaXXXine a clumsy and limp close to the trilogy, struggling to cohesively blend its many 80s pastiche elements despite some fun moments. [Read](https://consequence.net/2024/07/maxxxine-review-ti-west-mia-goth/)
- **The Ringer**, Adam Nayman (40/100, inferred): The critic argues the film is overly reliant on pastiche, making it not scary or impactful, with set pieces that hit marks but don't transcend, though Goth holds the screen. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2024/07/05/movies/maxxxine-movie-review-mia-goth-maxine-pearl-x-ti-west)
- **Deadline**, Damon Wise: The film serves as a satisfyingly bloody conclusion to the trilogy and functions as an abstract think-piece about women in cinema. It singles out Mia Goth's creepily compelling audition performance for praise. [Read](https://deadline.com/2024/06/maxxxine-review-ti-west-mia-goth-horror-trilogy-comes-to-a-satisfyingly-bloody-conclusion-1235983531/)
- **Film Stories**, Maria Lattila: The critic finds the film an uneven but stylish close to the trilogy, praising Goth's magnetic performance and the authentic 80s recreation while complaining about uneven dramatic tension and lack of commitment to horror elements. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/maxxxine-review-an-uneven-but-stylish-close-to-ti-wests-ambitious-trilogy/)
- **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (B-/C+): The review sees it as a love letter to 80s Hollywood that's fun but emptier than predecessors, praising the meticulous recreation of the era and authentic costumes while noting it's not scary and Goth's role lacks depth compared to Pearl. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/maxxxine-review-ti-west-mia-goth-slash-a-love-letter-to-80s-hollywood-20240626/)
- **The Wrap**: The stylish throwback is a violent but affectionate ode to 1980s sleaze with an impeccable style and impressive cast, but it is only mildly interesting overall. It singles out Mia Goth's ferocious, star-making performance for praise while noting the lack of depth compared to prior entries. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/maxxxine-review-mia-goth-a24/)

## Details

- **Director:** Ti West
- **Director:** Ti West
- **Writer:** Ti West
- **Cinematography:** Eliot Rockett
- **Editor:** Ti West
- **Music:** Tyler Bates
- **Production design:** Jason Kisvarday
- **Costume design:** Mari-An Ceo
- **Producer:** Kevin Turen, Harrison Kreiss, Jacob Jaffke
- **Cast:** Mia Goth as Maxine Minx; Elizabeth Debicki as Elizabeth Bender; Moses Sumney as Leon; Michelle Monaghan as Detective Williams; Bobby Cannavale as Detective Torres; Halsey as Tabby Martin; Lily Collins as Molly Bennett; Giancarlo Esposito as Teddy Knight, Esq.
- **Runtime:** 1h 43m
- **First release (the US):** 24 June 2024
- **Genres:** Horror
- **Budget:** $10 million
- **Box office:** $22 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGxKjwAnn5I

## Where to watch in India

Not streaming, renting or buying in India at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Pearl* (2022), Fi1m 76: The middle film, and the one where Goth is given a whole picture to carry. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pearl.md)
- *Body Double* (1984): De Palma’s Hollywood sleaze thriller, made when this was the present and not a costume.
- *Tenebrae* (1982): Argento’s giallo: the gloved killer, the writer under suspicion, the colour West is imitating.
- *Mulholland Drive* (2001), Fi1m 92: A wannabe arrives in Los Angeles and the city eats her; Lynch does it properly. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mulholland-drive.md)
- *Berberian Sound Studio* (2012), Fi1m 78: A British horror about making horror, where the industry itself does the frightening. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/berberian-sound-studio.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/maxxxine