X

An attempt at ambitious horror that doesn’t quite work. For the first hour or so, up until the first murder, it's a great directorial ride with an imaginative composition of shots, a witty timing of scenes (the crocodile from a bird's eye view!) and a top notch casting, all original characters and I loved it all; that long wait for the peak was a five-star job. But then, as the spiral of violence begins, the story winds clichédly along predictable paths, the murders are anything but interesting, though in one West recalls Fulci, and it all culminates in scenes you really don't want to see (gerontophilic sex). It's a film of two halves, and the first one, where it escalates, paradoxically outweighs the second one by a head; sometimes less is more. (16/04/2022)

X is the most inventively directed seventies exploitation flick by a contemporary young filmmaker. Ti West knows what he’s doing as he plays with the viewers and genre techniques, mixes a bit of soft-core porn with a chunk of hard slasher, and doesn’t forget to be a little bit deviant. But mainly, he gives form to the classic slasher premise of “horny teens must die” in the craftiest way in recent decades. X won’t scare you, but the more you are at home in the genre and love a breath of fresh air in it, the more you’ll enjoy the story of unfortunate visitors to the evil farm. Also, bare breasts. (21/04/2022)

After a hiatus of almost 10 years, the overrated Ti West returns with his best horror film to date, and it is already attacking second place. X is a great homage to 70-80s slashers and hixploitation horror with a beautiful retro look, a downright rarity nowadays and as a lover of the subgenre I of course applaud and salute, this film does a lot things right. The film has an interesting premise about a bunch of young filmmakers who want to make an adult film in a remote Texas location owner by a creepy retired couple, who of course don’t approve of what the youngsters have in mind. I like that Ti West goes about it a little differently, and rather than watching a bunch of teenagers drinking and then having it out as is customary in films like this, this style suited me better. Anyone expecting a NC-17 rating was naive, it really wouldn't pass muster in the US, but at least the girls show up topless, which in itself is brave these days (the 80s were better at that). The introduction to soft porn is a substantial and entertaining spectacle that soon turns into uncompromising and fine carnage (as weak as the previous three years were for gore, I'm very happy with this year). Ti West additionally took advantage of the fact that creepy old people are in vogue, but why should they just haunt when they can murder too, right? The main villains are really fucking sleazy and nasty (we may not see better horror baddies this year). A grandma with a knife and a pitchfork, with a smile on her face while the blood splashes, I dig that! The characters are likable, the are girls attractive (Jenna Ortega!), the gore is very good (the cow scene in the opening act really got me off my chair and on my feet), and that crocodile, well he played two awesome and uncomfortable scenes right there. X is a very essential horror film for this year as well, it came at the right time and gives horror fans more or less everything they would expect from a solid horror film. One funny and apt line from the film: “Nobody's comin' to see this film for the plot. They're comin' to see tits and ass” and Gore! Fucking A- Right. Story 3/5. Action 4/5, Humor 2/5, Violence 4/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 2/5, Actors 3/5. 8.5/10. (14/04/2022)

Despite a rather tepid pace in the first half, the creative skill of the filmmakers makes this an extremely atmospheric affair that cleverly references the greatest horror classics. Horror is of course what it is, yet it's not just superficially scary, and impresses more with its powerful visuals (the alligator chase shot is simply divine and the split-screen guitar sequence is an absolute treat), including the simple yet perfectly effective and believable motivations of the two main bad guys. A strong (non-)mainstream piece of work that feels old-fashioned and innovative at the same time. [80%] (23/05/2022)

X brilliantly evokes the period feel of early slasher films with honest practical effects, while subverting their moral stereotypes and the idea of the immaculate "final girl". The killer this time is a sexually frustrated retiree who takes out her pent-up desires on the young, horny filmmakers and porn actors making a movie in a conservative rural area. But she kills them not to punish them for fornicating, but out of envy (her motivations are deepened by the excellent prequel Pearl). Ti West manages to harmoniously blend two often despised genres, porn and slasher, which share many common elements. The result is an unconventional mix of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Boogie Nights, and it is breath of fresh air among other recent slashers that only unsuccessfully attempt to emulate their illustrious predecessors. And Mia Goth is absolutely phenomenal in the central dual role. (16/11/2023)