X

I hated this movie. It was way too disgusting for me to even finish. Just a nasty concept overall.

I thoroughly enjoyed the acting and plot in this film. The characters were substantial and I invested in them throughout the movie. They certainly made the villains creepy enough, exemplifying their "old" features. The kills were satisfying and not too over the top.

did NOT enjoy seeing two old people getting it on

Jenna Ortega I love her 💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓

'X'... I didn't see that coming! Admittedly, I practically came in fully blind, but still. It's not only an impressively stylish movie, it's an absolutely wild ride from beginning to completion. A fantastic horror slasher, it's brought to life superbly on and 'off' screen. Mia Goth brings an excellent performance, that one scream fails to escape my memory... co-star Jenna Ortega matches her in that department though, perhaps even surpasses. I've known Goth by name for a while, but this is the first movie of hers that I've logged. Ortega herself is very good too, as are all of the others in this 2022 release. Brittany Snow does well, is it just me (probably) that sees a facial resemblance to Christine Lakin? (shoutout anyone who watched 'Internet Icon' featuring her back in the day). Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi, that one shot is a madness btw 😂 insert Rowley Jefferson gif here). Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell and Stephen Ure play their part too. The deaths are awesome - super well done. The one with the secondary eye pop edit got me squeamish; the editing is top tier. Just looked up the filming locations for this... New Zealand?! I was totally convinced that the farm was the same one used for 'The Walking Dead'. Aside from a few differences, the house and barn match my (admittedly fading) memory of Hershel's digs. Clearly not! Lastly, I did not even realise, until looking at the Wikipedia article in fact, that Goth played Pearl as well... crazy prosthetics! That does make the eponymous follow-up's cover make a lot more sense (given I knew it was a prequel), I was questioning that until this very moment.

A Slasher Classic. The acting and cinematography are really good in this with really good direction to boot. Camerawork including the camerashots of the movie look like the 70's and like it was shot during the 70's. It's heavily inspired by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The kills are really well done also and there is hardly any jumpscares in this. They aren't lazy, PG-13 neutered, ripoffs, or ridiculous. The horror comes from the mood, ideas, and the great direction. Really good special effects in general in this. The lighting, framing, and asetics all are just really well done. Acting wise the villian is really disturbing, original, and memorable. Maybe not physically intimidating but defintely effective. Snow, Goth, and Ortega are all really good in this and have great chemistry. Everything else is solid. If I had one major complaint it's that this feels like 2 seperate films. An exploitative porn flick at first and a slasher in the second. That being said, it does work together quite well though the kills can get a bit jumpy because it starts dividing everyone up. One could argue Ortega's character is kind of pointless too in the long run. This probably could've cut the characters in this in half and it would've made the second half more effective. It's underlying themes of sexual repression and aging definetly sets it apart but it can get lost in the jumpiness, kills, and a bit or exploitative excess of the first half. It's not always clear sometimes how it's themes relate to what's happening at times too. It's a slow burn and I can't say this is for everyone. But anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, the director, horror flicks, or exploitation should check this out.

Has its moments but not at all scary or captivating. First half is a bad porn movie, second half a bad horror movie.

Rises well above its seemingly lurid premise. Surprisingly engrossing and relatively low on excessive splatter gore. The story makes sense and is quite cohesive. The acting is far superior to pedestrian horror. A welcome treat in a worn-out genre. Doubly so, given the apparently prurient premise. We'll worth a watch, but not for the squeamish or prudish.

The intersection of Pearl and Maxine’s stories. A throwback 1970’s-styled slasher film with modern meta-commentary on one of the genre’s most established tropes, the relationship between sex and violence. Its layered themes never hinder the depiction of grimy gore that its influences are infamous for. Ti West knows the horror genre and all its rules so well that he understands which rules can be bent to improve the quality of the film. It has a stellar cast, but Mia Goth is the star! She delivers not one, but two iconic performances as the mirrored characters of Pearl and Maxine. In the age of somber arthouse horror, “X” is a refreshingly fun horror film.

Ti West’s X is a fun throwback to ‘70s slasher movies.