X Movie Review

X is a new A24 slasher by director Ti West (The House of the Devil & VHS). The cast includes familiar names such as rapper Kid Cudi, Brittany Snow (John Tucker Must Die & Pitch Perfect), Mia Goth (Nymphomanic & A Cure for Wellness) and recently breakout star Jenna Ortega (Scream 5 & The Babysitter).

The film is set in 1979 somewhere in rural Texas, when two dancers and their manager decide to film the next big thing in pornography, “The Farmer’s Daughter”. They have their film’s male lead and join up with a filmmaker and his girlfriend in the back of a van. The gang sets out on the road to stay on an old farm in the middle of nowhere to make their film. They arrive at the farm and feel a little creeped out and uneasy by the elderly owner, Howard, and his wife, Pearl, but go on with their filming anyway. I think you can tell where this is going…

Pearl feels inspired by the youth and sex appeal of her guests and starts to spiral when her husband is unamused with her revival of her own sexuality.

Back at the guest house, everything is all tits and cocaine until Pearl comes along to turn the sex romp into a blood bath. 

I read a few people say that this was a slow burn, but I completely disagree. At no point was I ever bored or felt like I was waiting for something to happen. I had a lot of fun watching X and, by my standards, any film that makes the audience shout out obscenities when there is a kill, is a good film. 

X does a great job at showing how society values youth and sex over real intimate connections, and how we tend to see the elderly as burdens without needs or desires.

My favorite aspect of X was the absolute creepy factor. This film does the perfect job of making the viewer uncomfortable with realistic scenarios. It’s a 10/10 on the skin crawler scale. 

Be sure to stay for an extra trailer post credits.