MaXXXine (2024) review

I watched this after X because I wanted to see what the future holds for Maxine and how her story would conclude. I honestly expected this to be more erotic because of the title, but instead it plays more like an 80s crime thriller, leaning into serial killer investigation vibes and Hollywood sleaze rather than pure slasher horror. The tone shifts into neon lit paranoia, detectives, media panic, and the darker side of fame rather than the rural horror of X or the psychological descent of Pearl. It definitely looks like a leap in budget and scale, and it works as a final installment for the trilogy in terms of wrapping her journey into fame and identity. But for me the impact went downhill compared to the previous films. My ranking ends up as Pearl #1, X #2, MaXXXine #3 because the earlier entries felt more focused and memorable while this one feels more scattered despite being bigger.