Which, I soon, realized was MaXXXine in a nutshell.
Its a film filled withideas and potentialthat feels oddly constrained.
All of which is possible because of Mia Goth.
Mia Goth is Maxine in MaXXXine.Image: A24
Goth is the undeniable, captivating, and charismatic star that Maxine is and aspires to be.
You almost cant distinguish between the two because Goth has such a clear and complete understanding of her character.
Shes by far the best thing about the film.
Maxine after her audition.Image: A24
All of that makes the mere experience of spending time in MaXXXines world enjoyable.
And, when you add in such a dynamic character, its even better.
The problem is, Wests story relies too heavily on that.
Kevin Bacon going full Jake Gittes.Image: A24
Everything is moody and cool but actual plot points and development are sprinkled in instead of directly placed.
In addition, other murders happen that seem related to Maxine herself.
How does it all fit in?
Goth with her agent, played by Giancarlo Esposito.Image: A24
Is the Night Stalker behind it all?
The film takes its time to clear it all up.
Once things do start to coalesce, the path looks clear.
Maxine must deal with her past to ensure her future.
And that is, generally, what happens.
But in this seedy, creepy period setting, Wests execution of that is overly predictable and surprisingly tame.
Narratively, everything fits, but its all very by the numbers.
With a few minor exceptions, the film always seems to be holding back.
Almost as if its the edited TV version of a much crazier movie.
The same could be said for the films supporting cast, which is insanely impressive.
Its murders row and each actor absolutely elevates the film in their own way.
After the brutal, shocking intensity of X and Pearl, MaXXXine is largely a letdown.
MaXXXine opens in theaters July 5.
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