South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival – It’s been nearly a decade since Ti West’s last movie, The Sacrament. X marks his return and stands as one of his strongest features to date. This isn’t quite the 1970s genre throwback it initially seems. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the narrative veers into surprisingly fresh and interesting territory. X is funny, gory, and at times, shocking. The best of West’s filmmaking talents are on full display here.

X is set in 1979 and follows a film crew making an amateur porno titled “The Farmer’s Daugther.” Mia Goth stars as Maxine, who has the “X” factor, according to her boyfriend and porn producer, Wayne (Martin Henderson). There’s also the “church mouse” Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), who got conned into helping with the project by her indie filmmaker boyfriend, RJ (Owen Campbell), who swears that his porn video is going to be high art. Viva la independent cinema is RJ’s motto. There’s also the blonde-haired Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and budding porn star stud Jackson (Kid Cudi). I can’t stress enough how well this cast works together. They’re often hilarious, driving around in a van with plow service painted on the side. Goth and Ortega especially rock this picture.

The initial narrative about a bunch of 20 somethings winding up in rural Texas will, of course, call to mind the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Even some of the grimy shots and yellow and brown tones prove Tobe Hooper’s influence. There are also nods to Psycho, The Shining, and other horror staples from that era. But by the halfway point, X becomes something else entirely. The film crew stays in a boarding house run by shotgun-wielding Howard (Stephen Ure) and his wife, Pearl, also played by Goth. Kudos to the make-up team and Goth’s performance. You really wouldn’t know it’s her as Pearl. Howard, meanwhile, is none too happy that these young women walk around in skimpy clothes. They’re way too progressive for his taste.

But it’s really Pearl who has one of the most interesting storylines here. At one time, she, too, had the “X” factor, and there’s an interesting parallel between her and Maxine. They’re two sides of the same coin, in a way, so it makes sense that Goth was cast in both roles. The film has some heavy commentary on mortality and aging. This is underscored through shots in front of mirrors and a few creative uses of a split-screen. Pearl just wants a little love, and she’s jealous of the sex scenes she observes in the shadows. She aches for someone to touch her, anyone really. When they refuse, well, she and her old hubs take matters into their own hands. What follows makes for a violent and nasty ride. But through it all, this film still maintains some of its humor. It also uses hit 70s songs like “Landslide” with creative gusto. In fact “Don’t Fear the Reaper” has one of its best uses in any horror movie since Halloween.

There’s an argument to be made that House of the Devil, perhaps my favorite of West’s films, has a conservative bent because of the way a young woman/babysitter, Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), is punished by a bunch of elderly Satanists. There’s also the fact that the film is set in the 1980s during peak Reaganism. The ending of the movie is just flat-out malicious at times. X, which features countless scenes of televangelists preaching fire and brimstone on the tube, is much more critical of that rigid conservative morality that seeks to punish female sexuality. In fact, it often lampoons it in a smart fashion and has an ending quite the opposite of House of the Devil. Make of all that what you will.

X feels the most layered of West’s films, but it also pays tribute to genre classics more than most of his work. It especially takes a cue from Psycho in suddenly shifting the narrative and thus, our attention. At this point, X is one of the strongest horror movies of 2022. Luckily, we won’t have to wait several years for another Ti West film. It’s already been announced that there’s a prequel forthcoming, mapping Pearl’s story. That I’d also pay to see.

8 Out of 10