Sex and horror films have always walked hand in hand, but writer-director Ti West takes that to a whole new level with his horror film, about a porn movie shoot gone wrong, simply titled X.
On a remote farm, a group of x-rated filmmakers rents a carriage house on a farm to make their porn flick, not knowing that when night falls they will face horror and death.
Let me get this out of the way, this movie is only for the grown folks, so make sure your kids aren’t home when you watch it.
X, set in 1979, really captures the time with its dialogue, wardrobe, props, and soundtrack (which you can own now) of the time that is recognized for its progressive attitude towards doing the nasty.
X is labeled a horror film, and while there are a few scares, a ton of gore, and some tension, the sex overshadows the horror that the film aimed to deliver, leaving it feeling a bit trashy and more like porn than a horror movie. I’m no prude but I find it hard to believe that that much sex and nudity were necessary to get the point across. It goes a bit too far. But I get that what the filmmaker was going for, controversy. It’s free publicity. Plus a lot of the genre’s fan base are horny teens.
Don’t get me wrong, there is more to the story than bumping uglies. Each character has their dreams of stardom. But the farmer’s owners have their own desires that are more about blood than flesh. It’s actually kind of sad. The old woman is driven by her hunger for intimacy with her husband, but he’s unable to be the man she wants. Her frustration and jealousy breed a desire for violence and blood.
The characters are a bit stereotypical. The group is led by Martin Henderson as Wayne, the adult producer, who appears to be doing his best Matthew McConaughey impression. Brittany Snow and Jenna Ortega play opposites, Snow being the free one and Ortega playing the shy one trying to break free. Kid Cudi stars as the movie’s stud, all hot and bothered and ready to do his job. Mia Goth plays the lead role of Maxine, a young woman out to make it big and also prove a point to her evangelist father. The character development is mild at best and the characters mainly serve as eye candy and bodies to drop. None of the characters are particularly likable which causes issues when it comes time for us to care about them being killed.
As for the kills, they are brutal with a ton of gore that will leave you saying “damn”. There’s one scene with a nail that I swear I felt. There are also some seriously uncomfortable moments with the old woman that will give you the creeps. I assume Ti West was out to try to balance the blood and sexual aspects of this flick. But, as a horror fan, I wish it would have been more about the kills and story and less about the 5-minute long multiple sex scenes.
When you hear Ti West’s name you automatically expect greatness after seeing his films The Innkeepers, The Sacrament, The House of the Devil, and V/H/S. While X is far different from anything he’s done before, you can still tell that it’s his.
If you’re looking for something a little different and don’t mind watching porn with your partner, you might enjoy X. It’s bold, unflinching, and surprising, but lighter on horror than one might expect.
Ti West’s X is out on Blu-ray Combo Pack (DVD and Digital) on May 24, 2022, from Lionsgate and includes the special features “That X Factor” which goes back to a line said about the main character, and “The Farmer’s Daughters,” an extended scene.
