A group of actors sets out to make an adult film in rural Texas under the noses of their reclusive hosts, but when the elderly couple catches their young guests in the act, the cast finds themselves in a desperate fight for their lives.
Director: Ti West
Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, Scott Mescudi
Release Date: March 18, 2022
Genre: Horror
Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and language
Runtime: 1h 45m
Review:
Ti West has always shown a deep affinity for 70's horror film with The Innkeepers and House of the Devil serving as prime examples. X is his loving tribute to Grindhouse horror with heavy homages to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre before it veers into even stranger and grosser territory. The plot itself is familiar and the first half of the film checks all the requisite boxes. West does a great job of establishing the setup with wonderfully crafted shots and goofy dialogue from the future victims. The performances from the cast are fun and loose which fits the film. His approach is impressively restrained initially which makes the mayhem that follows all the more potent and impactful. In the latter half of the film you get the strong sense that he wants to make the audience squirm in their seats and for the most part he succeeds. There's violence and gore aplenty but it's never overly serious or heady. X is the type of horror film that isn't setting to make some grand statement it just wants to titillate, shock, and even gross you out.
B+
