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.
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Little White Lies
19 March 2022 · 4/5/5 · Anna Bogutskaya
100
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
15 March 2022 · festival review · Rafael Motamayor
80*
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
