---
title: "X"
year: 2022
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/x"
fi1m_id: "x"
imdb_id: "tt13560574"
tmdb_id: 760104
wikidata_id: "Q105605250"
fi1m_score: 74
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 21
published: "2026-09-23T13:05:40.354305+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-23T13:05:40.913221+00:00"
region: "CO"
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."
---

# X (2022)

Directed by Ti West · 1h 46m · Horror

## Identity

X

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/x
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** x
- **IMDb ID:** tt13560574
- **TMDB ID:** 760104
- **Wikidata ID:** Q105605250
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13560574/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/760104, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105605250

**Fi1m score: 74** · Critics 80 from 21 reviews

*In a sentence:* Six people drive to a farm to make a dirty film; the landlady remembers being young, and that is the problem

> Ti West’s slasher about a pornographic shoot on a Texas farm is patient, funny and made with real skill for an hour, with Mia Goth doing two jobs at once. The second half is a slasher we have seen before, executed better than most.

## Synopsis

Texas, 1979. Maxine (Mia Goth), a dancer who intends to be famous, climbs into a van with her boyfriend and producer Wayne (Martin Henderson), fellow performers Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson (Kid Cudi), a director called RJ (Owen Campbell) who believes a dirty film can also be art, and his girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), who is running the sound. They are driving out to a farm to shoot a picture called *The Farmer’s Daughters*. The farm belongs to Howard (Stephen Ure), an old man with a shotgun who has not been told what they are making, and his wife Pearl, who watches Maxine from the porch. There is a pond with an alligator in it, a preacher on every television, and a guesthouse with just enough beds. The shoot begins.

## Review

Ti West likes to make you wait. *The House of the Devil* and *The Innkeepers* spent most of their length on corridors and small talk before anything went wrong, and *X* works the same way. A van full of people who make dirty films for a living drives out to a farm in Texas in 1979, rents a guesthouse from an elderly couple and starts shooting. For an hour it is a film about work: lighting a barn, finding the angle, arguing about whether what they are making could be art. Then it becomes a slasher, and the first hour is the better film.

West is fond of these people, and it shows. Wayne (Martin Henderson) is a producer who talks in slogans and believes them. Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson (Kid Cudi) are performers who enjoy the job and say so, and the film does not sneer at them for it; Snow plays a woman completely at ease with herself and gets the best laughs. RJ (Owen Campbell) is the film-school director who wants to try avant-garde techniques on a picture called *The Farmer’s Daughters*, and his girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), running the sound, is quieter than everyone else and watching harder. There is an evening in the guesthouse where Bobby-Lynne sings “Landslide” while Jackson plays guitar, and we found ourselves wishing the film would stay there. It is a rare horror film in which we did not want the killing to start.

Mia Goth is credited twice, as Maxine and as Pearl, the farmer’s wife, and that casting is the whole idea: the girl and the old woman are the same person at opposite ends of a life. Maxine wants to be a star and says so into a mirror. Pearl stands on the porch in a housedress and looks at her the way you look at a photograph of yourself. Goth plays the young woman with a fixed, hungry stare and the old one with a small, wet-eyed longing that unsettled us more than anything the film does with a blade. The scene where Pearl brings Maxine a glass of lemonade and shows her pictures from her own dancing days is the best in the film, and there is not a drop of blood in it.

Eliot Rockett shoots the farm in the flat, hot light of late afternoon, with slow zooms and long wide shots that leave the house small against the fields. There is an overhead shot of Maxine swimming across the pond while something long and dark closes on her from behind, and we held our breath for the whole of it. Tom Hammock’s production design gives the farmhouse the brown furniture, lace and framed photographs of a house nobody has touched in forty years. Malgosia Turzanska puts the visitors in denim and halter tops and the old couple in clothes from another decade. The score, by Chelsea Wolfe and Tyler Bates, is a low drone, and West, editing with David Kashevaroff, cuts to the preacher on the farmhouse television so often that the sermon becomes the film’s second soundtrack.

The caveat is the second half. Once the killing begins, West does what slasher films do, in the order they do it: one at a time, in the dark, with whatever is lying around, and a splash of something across the lens. The effects are wet and practical and the camera does not look away. But a film that spent an hour making us like these people spends its second hour getting rid of them, and the idea behind Pearl, that old age envies the young and the envy is a kind of grief, gets said aloud rather than shown. One speech does the work a look had already done. We flinched in the right places, and then we noticed we were no longer frightened, only waiting.

[*The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*](https://film.one/film/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre) is the model, and West does not hide it: a van, a farmhouse, a hot Texas summer, a family that does not want visitors. Tobe Hooper’s film felt like something that had happened. West’s feels like a careful reconstruction by a man who has watched Hooper’s film more times than is healthy, and the care is exactly what the original never had. That makes *X* easier to watch and harder to be scared by.

See it for the first hour and for Goth, who is doing something here that most actors would not be trusted to try. It is an 18 and earns the certificate twice over, once for the skin and once for what is done to it.

*Fi1m score 74, published 23 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like X, and they agree on why. Ti West’s slasher is read as a careful homage to 1970s grindhouse and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in particular, praised for getting the period right rather than simply quoting it. The editing comes up often, as does the patient first half spent with a porn crew treated more warmly than the genre usually allows. Mia Goth’s double role, as the ambitious Maxine and the elderly Pearl, is the performance nearly every review names.

The reservations concern what the film does with its ideas. Several reviews find its thoughts on youth, desire and ageing left on the surface, and a few think it promises more than it delivers once the killing starts. Slant Magazine goes furthest, judging it a tease that slides into cliché, and the Los Angeles Times finds it better at anticipation than follow-through. Den of Geek thinks the final third leans on gross-out. The spread is otherwise narrow.

## Straight answers

**Is X worth watching?**

*X* is worth watching for horror viewers who can wait an hour for the blood, and we scored it 74. The first half, about a pornographic shoot on a Texas farm, is patient and funny, and Mia Goth is doing two jobs at once with real skill. The second half is a slasher we have seen before, executed better than most.

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

*X* runs 1h 46m. It is a horror film.

**Where can I watch X in Colombia?**

*X* is streaming on MUBI, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in Colombia, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from CO$9900.00. It leaves MUBI on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

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

*X* is an 18 in the UK and R in the US, and it earns the certificate twice over, once for the sex and nudity of the film-within-the-film and once for what is done to the people making it. The killings are wet, practical and shown in full, and the camera does not look away. It is not for children or for the squeamish.

**How does X compare to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?**

*X* is a careful copy of [*The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*](https://film.one/film/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre), and the original is still the rougher, hotter, more frightening film. Tobe Hooper's picture feels like something that happened; West's feels like a reconstruction by an admirer. *X* has the better characters and the better jokes, and Hooper's has the terror, so choose by which you want.

**What should I watch after X?**

After *X*, try [*The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*](https://film.one/film/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre) (1974, Fi1m 87): The film West is copying, and still the rougher, hotter, more frightening one. Then [*Pearl*](https://film.one/film/pearl) (2022, Fi1m 76): Goth’s old woman gets her own film, in Technicolor, and it is stranger than this; and [*Boogie Nights*](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights) (1997, Fi1m 86): The pornography business as a family firm, with nobody hiding in the barn.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **Little White Lies**, Anna Bogutskaya (4/5/5): The critic finds X a sweaty, sexy and extremely fun slasher that brings the genre back to its fleshy basics of sex, blood and cinema. They praise the artful framing, unconventional editing tricks and Mia Goth's intense double performance as the ambitious Maxine and creepy elderly Pearl. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/X/)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (89/100, inferred): The critic praises it as a rare, meticulous 'Chain Saw' homage with genuine mood, skill, and 1970s authenticity that earns its shocks and quease factor through humanized ancient demons. They single out the slow-motion ride of terror, feminist horror elements, and the idea that monsters are people too for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/x-review-sxsw-1235203851/)
- **The New York Times**, Jason Zinoman (87/100, inferred): The critic calls 'X' a thrilling homage that captures the disreputable pleasures of 1970s horror with modern refinement and notes Ti West as one of the rare directors who understands and honors the original 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre'. They single out its slickly modern take on the source material's visual vocabulary for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/movies/texas-chain-saw-massacre-x-ti-west.html)
- **Screen Daily** (86/100, inferred): The critic describes X as a bloody and brainy 1970s-style slasher with bite that is a full-tilt genre experience as surprising as it is savage. They single out the central idea of the power of female sexuality and the fresh twist that the lead character Maxine is entirely the master of her own fate rather than a victim. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/x-sxsw-review/5168630.article)
- **The AV Club**, Todd Gilchrist (B+): The critic calls it bloody, ballsy fun that deconstructs storytelling clichés while exploring the allure of youth and its reflection on the aged. It singles out West’s respectful, sex-positive depiction of the characters and Goth’s casting as a highlight. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/ti-west-works-more-genre-manipulating-magic-with-x-1848644775)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (81/100, inferred): The critic calls X a properly satisfying shocker that reframes images from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre while evoking Psycho and other horrors, with fun in the seamy 1970s porno milieu and bright performances, especially from Brittany Snow and Mia Goth. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/x-10/)
- **Radio Times**, Matt Glasby (4/5): The critic calls it a quality enterprise that turns to the hicksploitation subgenre, with strong lead performances from Mia Goth and Brittany Snow and genuine interest in exploring characters' inner lives. They single out the atmosphere of rural decay conjured through shots of creaky outhouses, suspicious locals and lurking alligators. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-24phyp/x/)
- **Sight and Sound** (78/100, inferred): The critic sees X as a bloody, trashy and transgressive horror that unites horror and porn to explore voyeurism across generations. They single out the film's preoccupation with the male gaze being subverted by female characters who both watch and act on what they see. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/x-unites-horror-porn-explore-voyeurism-across-generations)
- **The Guardian** (78/100, inferred): The critic calls X a back-to-basics slasher and full-throttle homage to 1970s grindhouse that is simple but mostly effective, filled with sex and violence. They single out its unabashed focus on bodies and its reminder of why the classic slasher wheel became the industry standard. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/16/x-review-back-to-basics-slasher-pits-porn-stars-against-elderly-killers)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, John DeFore (77/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a gory retro-thriller with an unusually engaging cast that benefits from West’s knack for period vibes. It singles out the cast and the film’s meatier-than-average approach to slasher tropes for praise while noting the gory ride. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ti-wests-x-sxsw-2022-1235110997/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Abby Olcese (76/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as a clever, self-referential love letter to filmmaking and genre pleasures that delivers nasty fun but stays surface-level without deeper perspective. They single out the plucky joy of low-budget independent filmmaking for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/x-movie-review-2022)
- **Vulture** (70/100, inferred): The critic notes that the film reexamines slasher traditions around sex and death without condemning the characters’ libertinism, instead highlighting jealousy of youth. It singles out the elegant technique, deliberate pacing, and Goth’s performance for praise. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-ti-wests-a24-slasher-x.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (66/100, inferred): The critic finds the film too well-made in its artisanal period textures and old-school atmospherics but notes it delivers more tease than release and is better at building anticipation than following through. They single out the masterful technique of shadowy stillness and suggestive angles for praise alongside the themes of youth, desire, and aging. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-17/review-x-ti-west-mia-goth)
- **Slant Magazine**, Mark Hanson (50/100, inferred): The critic finds it intermittently thrilling as a retro slasher but ultimately a tease that slides into cliché after an initial promise of genre deconstruction. It singles out the playful, body-autonomous sex scenes and galvanizing sequences like the alligator one for praise. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/x-review-ti-west/)
- **Collider**, Chase Hutchinson (A+): The critic calls it a meticulous, patient masterwork of horror that mixes terror, humor, and influences like Texas Chain Saw Massacre into its own thrilling tale of a 1979 Texas porn shoot gone wrong. They single out the dynamic, deadly filmmaking and the way it achieves its lofty ambitions as standout. [Read](https://collider.com/x-review-ti-west-jenny-ortega-kid-cudi/)
- **Paste**, Aurora Amidon (9.4): The critic praises it as a near-perfect distillation of the slasher film and a whole-hearted homage to 1970s slashers that lives up to its predecessors through atmospheric blood-spatter, creative kills, and strong craft. They single out the nimble editing, long-shots building suspense, and the way it cares about its characters as key strengths. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sxsw-2022/x-review-ti-west)
- **/Film**, Matt Donato (8.5/10): The critic calls it a welcome return for Ti West and his best film yet, praising its authentic throwback to '70s and '80s slashers with blood-drenched gore and technical flourishes. They single out the strong cast for drawing viewers in and making the second-half terrors effective. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/800489/x-review-a-slick-and-stunning-original-slasher-sxsw/)
- **Polygon**, Rafael Motamayor (80/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a deliciously gory, delightfully funny homage to 1970s indie filmmaking and a love letter to the genre that lures viewers with a fun hangout before unleashing hell. They single out the effective novel editing, character work, and Mia Goth's performance while noting some stereotypes about aging as a minor complaint. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/22979890/x-review-ti-west-horror-movie/)
- **Deadline**, Valerie Complex (76/100, inferred): The critic sees X as a fun, surface-level love letter to the slasher genre and 1970s porn tropes, with strong performances from the cast helping to offset loose ends and underdeveloped ideas about desire and rage. [Read](https://deadline.com/2022/03/ti-west-love-letter-x-movie-1234982179/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (3 out of 5): The critic finds X a wistful, melancholic ode to 1970s schlock cinema and independent filmmaking rather than a pure frolic, with strong sensitivity toward its sex-working protagonists in the first half. The film is praised for its deliberate pacing, tonal mash-up, and exploration of desire versus regret, though the final third leans into uneven shock value and gross-out elements. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/x-review-a24-horror-porn-massacre/)
- **The Wrap** (74/100, inferred): The critic describes X as a stylish, gleefully sleazy homage to 1970s grindhouse cinema with effective gore and period techniques, but notes that attempts to humanize the villains and explore themes do not fully succeed. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/x-film-review-ti-west-mia-goth-pearl-a24-horror/)

## Details

- **Director:** Ti West
- **Director:** Ti West
- **Writer:** Ti West
- **Cinematography:** Eliot Rockett
- **Editor:** David Kashevaroff, Ti West
- **Music:** Chelsea Wolfe, Tyler Bates
- **Production design:** Tom Hammock
- **Costume design:** Malgosia Turzanska
- **Producer:** Ti West, Jacob Jaffke, Kevin Turen
- **Cast:** Mia Goth as Maxine / Pearl; Jenna Ortega as Lorraine; Brittany Snow as Bobby-Lynne; Kid Cudi as Jackson; Martin Henderson as Wayne; Owen Campbell as RJ; Stephen Ure as Howard; James Gaylyn as Sheriff Dentler
- **Runtime:** 1h 46m
- **First release (the US):** 13 March 2022
- **Genres:** Horror
- **Budget:** $1 million
- **Box office:** $15 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awg3cWuHfoc

## Where to watch in Colombia

- MUBI: streaming, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent CO$9900.00, hd
- Apple TV: rent CO$12900.00, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy CO$34900.00, hd
- Apple TV: buy CO$37900.00, sd

*Checked 2026-09-23.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* (1974), Fi1m 87: The film West is copying, and still the rougher, hotter, more frightening one. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre.md)
- *Pearl* (2022), Fi1m 76: Goth’s old woman gets her own film, in Technicolor, and it is stranger than this. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pearl.md)
- *Boogie Nights* (1997), Fi1m 86: The pornography business as a family firm, with nobody hiding in the barn. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights.md)
- *Calvaire* (2004): A Belgian singer’s van breaks down near an inn; the locals have plans for him.
- *The House of the Devil* (2009): West’s earlier slow burn: a babysitting job, a big house, a long wait.

---
© 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/x