The Scene staff
Fans of horror movies are always looking to find the perfect balance between risqué and gore, lust and blood. “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Sleep Away Camp” and “Re-Animator” all nail it.
Other movies, such as “Slumber Party Massacre,” “Halloween” and “Jennifer’s Body,” favor one over the other, but they don’t disappoint viewers.
Many horror movies have some level of sexual content, but none can compare to the groundbreaking 2022 film “X.”
It follows a band of kinky misfits trying to become famous by filming a porno flick. They end up getting hunted down by a lustfilled elderly couple, who have rented them a rickety farmhouse on their rural Texas property.
Directed by Ti West and produced by A24 studios, “X” has an equal amount of lewdness, suspense and gut-wrenching gore, as well as a diverse cast of characters. It’s set during the late 1970s, which many people consider the golden age of porn.
The plot follows Maxine, Wayne and their associate amateur porn filmmakers, who are making a low-budget movie that develops into a horror film itself.
It begins with a scene that looks like it was ripped out of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” with police officers checking out a farmhouse littered with blood and corpses. The lead officer ventures down into the basement, only to discover a disfigured corpse.
Then comes a flashback to the sequence of events that led to the gruesome murder investigation.
Maxine (played by Mia Goth) is enjoying some morning lines of cocaine until she’s interrupted by Wayne (Martin Henderson), her partner and film director. Soon, we’re introduced to the rest of the crew as they drive down the road and discuss the title of their film, “The Farmer’s Daughter”
When they arrive at the farm, Wayne talks business with the owner, Howard (Stephen Ure), about renting his spare farmhouse.
The crew gets situated and begins filming the first scene with Bobby-Lynn (Brittany Snow) and Jackson (Kid Cudi).
Things fall apart badly when R.J. (Owen Campbell) decides to leave the production. He encounters the farmer’s wife, Pearl (also played by Mia Goth), who is upset about being rejected by him sexually.
The horror begins shortly after. Pearl and Howard hunt down and kill each cast and crew member until Maxine, the sole surviver, comes face to face with her destiny.
When I first saw the “X” trailer, I was very intrigued because it’s not every day you come across a mainstream horror movie that’s based on the porn industry.
After watching it, I was impressed by the characters, music and plot twists. I appreciated seeing the younger characters being compassionate instead of hostile toward their assailants.
Plus, the number of references to 1970s and 1980s movies such as “Psycho,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Shining,” was surprising. Many “X” scenes have similar structures and camera angles.
Music curated for the film includes a mixture of early ‘70s pop and funk, which blended perfectly throughout.
The downside is that “X,” while capturing the 1970s vibe, features a lot of drug use, but it also shows the problems that it causes in people’s lives.
The movie reminds viewers that certain pleasures that young adults enjoy can be stripped away by poor health and advancing age. The graphic sex scenes (R rating) would not be suitable for squeamish people or young children.
Overall, “X’ was a great movie. Passion and gore were beautifully woven in an original premise. The murder scenes are pretty gruesome and unexpected. My favorite kill was Wayne getting a pitchfork in the face