Movies about movie-making are fun. I love the good old “hint hint wink wink” references to the best of the genre. “X” has plenty of these moments. It also has plenty of disturbing, gruesome and utterly uncalled-for moments. What more can you ask for in horror?
“X” takes place in 1979 and follows a group of attractive young people as they set out to fulfill their American dream: getting rich off of an amateur porno. RJ (Owen Campbell, “Super Dark Times”) is hired as the videographer, and he is dead-set on making a tasteful, cinematic masterpiece. When the gang arrives at the plot leader and entrepreneur Wayne Gilroy (Martin Henderson, “Virgin River”) rented, they’re greeted eerily by Pearl (Mia Goth, “Emma”) and Howard (Stephen Ure, “Deathgasm”), the old couple that lives on the main property. When Pearl discovers that the group is making an erotic film, she seems disturbingly interested in getting in on the action. As a slasher film, it is no surprise that things get bloody from that point on.
It is honestly difficult to formulate the words to properly discuss “X.” It was funny, scary and even a tad sentimental at times. A highlight moment has to be when Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow, “Pitch Perfect”) bursts into song after discussing the importance of having sex while young, stating passionately that one day they’ll be “too old to screw.” The screen then splits into two equal parts, one showing Bobby-Lynne belting the song “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks to her fellow porn stars and the other displaying sad and lonely Pearl, unable to act on her sexual desires. I don’t remember the last time I had that much fun in the theater. I’ll also admit that I felt a little bad for old Pearl, until she got a hold of a pitchfork.
“X” is surprisingly witty, referencing classics belonging to the genre responsible for its creation. Most noticeably tied into “X” are the films “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Psycho” and “The Shining.” The farmland the group arrives on is reminiscent of that in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” When Lorraine (Jenna Ortega, “Scream”), the appointed prude of the group, asks to join in on the porno, boyfriend and cinematographer RJ refuses, explaining how the audience wouldn’t understand the introduction of a new character at this stage in the porno. She says, “What about ‘Psycho’?” Lorraine later gets locked in the basement and tries to break out using an ax, a clever switch up of the well-known “Here’s Johnny!” scene in “The Shining.”
A24 is responsible for some of my favorite, more modern horror movies like “Hereditary” and “Midsommar,” and they don’t fail with “X.” The flashes between scenes are abrupt and disorienting in the best way, juxtaposing Pearl’s inner desires with the group’s “unholy” filmmaking. “X” has some religious undertones relating to Maxine (Mia Goth, “Emma”), who repeats to herself, “I will not accept a life I do not deserve.” Although a sentiment from the Bible, Maxine strips it of religious meaning. Toward the end of the film, we’re let in on the fact that Maxine is the daughter of a conservative Christian who believes she has been corrupted. The ending of “X” also sets up questions to be answered in an already-filmed prequel regarding Pearl’s coming of age, in which she will be played by Mia Goth.
“X” is new and exciting. For anyone bored of predictable slasher horror, “X” may be the perfect way to spark a renewed interest in the genre. I will confidently admit that I gasped multiple times throughout, whether it be from unexpected humor, outright disgust or pure terror. “X” has a lot going on, and I am honestly still processing it. That’s the type of horror I appreciate most.
Daily Arts Writer Laura Millar can be reached at lamillar@umich.edu.