Many dead bodies lie in her wake on a journey to making a name for herself in 1980s Hollywood… She’s part maverick, part psycho: Maxine Minx is a name you shouldn’t soon forget within the horror genre! I’m sure there will be many case studies of the character’s influences on future big-screen projects in the years to come. MaXXXine is the movie that finally brings greatness to the character portrayed by Mia Goth in what could be the final chapter of this movie trilogy.

Getting famous was never this sexy before…

I’ve got to hand it to A24 Films, which has consistently become one of my favorites. The higher-ups at the distributor either truly had a revolutionary idea by giving writer-director Ti West the greenlight to create and release three films within a two-year span, or they were incredibly lucky by sticking with the charismatic Mia Goth in what has since become a showcase of the actor’s abilities, quickly sending her up the “It Girl” list, but has she finally become a scream queen?

Does it even matter?

For just a moment, I’d like to look back onto the previous titles that got us to our current destination. X was crafted as an homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Pearl was clearly full of The Wizard of Oz nostalgia, so where does that place MaXXXine? Well, it’s a direct sequel to X, leading our main character to Los Angeles, where she attempts to crossover from seedy strip clubs to mainstream Hollywood. Little did she know of the road hazards along this path to success.

“I will not accept a life I do not deserve…:

As we have learned from the previous two films, Maxine is desperate for fame, regardless of its cost. Whether that involves fighting off an elderly pair of cold-blooded killers or abandoning her friends and coworkers and doing numerous unspeakable deeds while selling flesh for cash, she’ll gladly pay the fees. She’s a fighter. She’s a survivor. And she hopes that’s enough to get her a date with destiny.

Seeking some sort of escape route from the adult film industry and the exotic bare-and-stare skin trade, Maxine auditions for a major role in a horror film (The Puritan II). After accepting the role, details slowly unfold surrounding the Night Stalker, who seems to be slowly but surely targeting our main character. Attempting to balance a regular paycheck while studying her scripts and dodging numerous dangerous situations, one way or another, Maxine is on a mission to find success… but will the ghosts of her past emerge to prevent this?

As much as I truly enjoyed Part One (which was a period-piece hagsploitation film) and was generally let down by Part Two (which was a psychological horror prequel mostly known for the title actress’ end credits smile), I was blown away by Part Three (which is styled around early home video releases).

As a Child of the ’80s, I truly recognized and appreciated this world.

The third time’s the charm for Goth, who looks and feels incredibly comfortable in this role, never looking out of place. This time around, she’s got some incredible support. Halsey appears as her stripper friend, Lily Collins makes a cameo in the film within the film, Giancarlo Esposito works as Maxine’s agent and Kevin Bacon’s scummy small-town private dick just about steals the show. That’s an all-star lineup for a low-budget film (the total budget hasn’t been reported, but based on the success of the previous films, it was relatively larger than their $1 million allotments) that definitely feels much bigger — and better — than the previous two. The storyline also feels more polished than the others.

With his third outing, West creates a really gory and fun film, ramping up the original’s formula of success: It’s dripping with suspense and naked bodies within a great ’80s atmosphere to wrap up the franchise, but is any great film truly complete if it actually makes money? There’s already whispers of a spinoff and I’m totally here for it!

I was lucky enough to attend one of only four screenings in the world (reportedly) to show the film in 35 mm and it simply looked and sounded better than ever. One of my favorite scenes includes a knife chase within the backlots of Universal Studios, featuring a closeup of the Bates Motel (and its overlooking creepy family house). It truly feels like a good-natured swipe at Osgood Perkins (whose Longlegs releases this week), as well as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, himself. I loved every second of it.

The overly dedicated personality of Maxine Minx can definitely be summed up as a certain slice of crazy as she fights off the demons of her childhood. I absolutely enjoyed watching this film on the big screen and recommend finding any theater that may offer a 35 mm print and watch it as soon as possible. That’s one easy-to-plan killer night out!