X (Mini-Review)

X is a movie about a group of people deciding to film a porn. Four people consider it just business as usual. But RJ Nichols thinks he can make the simple film into art instead of just porn. Reality comes crashing down on him when Lorraine, his girlfriend, decides that she actually wants to be in the film. If that isn't bad enough, the couple the crew is renting from reveals themselves to be less than innocent. X was released in 2022. It was directed by Ti West. It stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Martin Henderson.

I didn't know what to expect from this film. From the trailer I knew it was a slasher and I love horror movies. Due to me only reviewing new releases, some of you may not realize how much of a horror fan I am. I tend to only watch horror movies and bad horror movies are my happy place. So while not knowing if X was going to be a good movie, I knew I'd have a good time regardless.

There is a post-credits scene that's a preview for a prequel. For a movie that's not a big budget movie I wasn't expecting to see anything. One of my quirks when seeing a movie is to watch the credits. Though at home I can speed through credits if I'm getting bored. After getting back home, I looked up and it turns out this movie and the prequel were shot back to back. So if you, like me, enjoyed this film and want more you'll soon get more X content. There's also talks of having a sequel in a hoped for trilogy.

One theme in the film is sex and what happens when sexual urges are suppressed. Maxine, Wayne, Bobby, and Jackson are all used to filming porn while having relationships. They point out that what they do for porn is purely fictional and so don't feel threatened when a significant other films a sex scene without them. RJ feels that that's okay for them but is extremely possessive of Lorraine as she's "pure" while the others aren't. I can actually feel for the couple as the husband has a bad heart which leaves the wife wanting. revrezner is disabled and so sometimes we can't do it because he's not capable.

The movie starts off after all the murder without revealing who, if any, survived. So everything is set up for you to be on the edge of your seat wondering what horror lies in the basement and if anyone actually survived. In horror movies there's never a guarantee if anyone survives. Since the people were filming a porn, even if the police find the film it doesn't mean the case will be solved. And if there's a survivor...they might not have enough evidence to prove themselves innocent of any wrongdoing.

The gore hit me in all the right places. It was there when it needed to be and never overstayed its welcome. So when you find out what's in the basement it's a horrifying sight. There are a few other shots that are sure to leave an impact on viewers.

I would recommend X to those looking for a good slasher.