Ti West’s latest horror flick, X, explores the juxtaposition of sex and death. It’s fun, competent, and has a great aesthetic. While the last act didn’t quite pay off for me, I liked this one.
In this film, it’s 1979, and a strip club manager, trio of would-be porn stars, and a two-person film crew decided to travel out to rural Texas in search of the perfect location for their porn movie. For the actors, they have stars in their eyes, thinking the film will make their names. For the manager and director, they see dollar signs, hoping to cash in on the developing home video market. All of them are young, hungry, and want it all.
Unfortunately, the old couple they’re renting a boarding house from is very odd and facing the end of their lives. And boy, do they resent the young for having it all.
West earned a reputation for producing solid workhorse horror films known for their consistency of quality and competence. In this film, he delivers while flirting with the juxtaposition of sex and death and horror’s kissing cousin: humor. The characters are more or less developed, the actors do a good job, there’s an original take on the villain and its agency that comes as a twist, and the overall aesthetic is 70s grind house. When the violence happens, it has a FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH vibe to it.
My only downer is the same as with other Ti West films, which is while they’re solid and competent, they tend to roll out as a fairly even road from beginning to end, with barely a suggestion of a roller coaster, and as a result, when they end, they just sort of end rather than come in for a big finish, at least for me.
Overall, I liked it and would recommend it for horror buffs looking for a hearty square meal.
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