X: A Slasher That Can't Quite Get It Up
In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.
Ti West has a longstanding proficiency for affectionately conjuring up the old school aesthetics of 70s and 80s horror, but the masterful quality of his craft (as we see it, at least) tends to stop there. His films possess a certain charm, but they tend to be more focused on paying homage to his myriad influences than anything else. X is essentially no different, but it finds West trying to reach a bit deeper, creating a pastiche of pornography and slasher that he seeks to augment through the filmmaking and themes. Even though he struggles to clearly articulate, West is still trying to say something — which is more than he usually does —and while there’s a commendable quality to his effort, the result isn’t as successful as we’d hoped.
Its title might imply it’ll deliver the hardcore action, but in actuality, X only comes packing limp, softcore heat. Although clever and amusing at times, it’s often a cringy, puzzling, and underwhelming horror-going experience. Like Scream, X is a little too preoccupied with trying to impress you with its self-awareness, and if you’re anything like us, it will produce more tedium and frustration than entertainment value. The film ultimately gets so enmeshed in its masturbatory meta-commentary about film/making and its crudely poetic musings on age that the horror elements are pushed far into the background, almost as if they were an afterthought.
Simply put, the basic tenets of horror either aren’t present or can’t be felt; it’s sorely lacking the suspense, dread, tension, and terror that are paramount to generating an adrenalized response. Everything is essentially dangled out in plain view, from its villains to its kills. The only shred of mystery present is the killer’s motivation, which produces some interesting empathy and fills a thematic need but winds up watering down the potential horror in the process. There’s very little that truly subverts expectations or builds intrigue along its meandering trudge, and it slumps into a lot of clichés getting from point A to point B.
As a concept, it’s vaguely creepy, but it’s not executed in a way that’s either thrilling or unnerving. It almost plays like a parody/satire of horror but it never fully commits to crossing that line; as funny as it can be (and as much as it builds itself up to be a feature-length punchline), its more concerned with being meta or making a point, than it is making you laugh or feel scared. Its visual look is clearly a draw, but the atmosphere it creates is bathed more in nostalgia than palpable dread. West directs some sequences very well, but he makes some baffling and clumsy directorial decisions as well; the “Landslide” musical interlude and the decision to have actress Mia Goth pull double duty (the latter of which muddies the film’s messaging and becomes a point of distraction) are two of the most glaring examples.
Some of the writing isn’t great as well. There are a smattering of awkward scenes and a handful of bad dialogue, but the performers fully commit to the material and bring a compelling attitude to their roles, which certainly does the film a favor. More than anything, we felt that its thematic mix of youth/old and sex/religion didn’t quite gel into anything more than a trifle. At the end of the day, X fluffs itself up to be one big shamelessly self-indulgent and -important pat on the back, and it doesn’t feel warranted or earned. As with any film, mileage will vary depending on individual tastes and preferences, but this impotent horror offering unfortunately didn’t have the “X-factor” we were looking for.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for some Texas Chain Saw Massacre vibes or a throwback slasher with a modern bend, give X a try, but brace yourself for some potential Texas-sized disappointment.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!