In 1979, a young crew of filmmakers rents an isolated house to shoot an adult film, but when its elderly hosts find out, they reveal their sinister intentions.
A horror like only A24 knows how to do! What the police come across in the opening sequence is the result of a massacre you have yet to witness. But you will. So, 24 hours prior to that, the crew packs it up and sets off for the house that will make everyone famous and rich. The adult film that will change everyone’s life. The shoot will accomplish everyone’s American dream. With heroes, antiheroes, villains, and old houses straight out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (any version), the set-up is ready for the bloody inevitable – pun intended.
From a filmmaking perspective, the editing beautifully tells the parallel stories between the film’s shooting and the old “lady’s” story while breathtakingly building up the suspense. It might feel like nothing has happened for a while, but I assure you it is the calm before the storm. After the verbal reference to Psycho (1960), the visuals confirm the pending bloodbath. Gruesome moments follow that hold no punches and, undoubtedly, cut anyone’s breath short. There is no way to describe them without giving the gore away, so I’m just gonna leave it here.
Writer/producer/co-editor/director Ti West creates a good old-fashioned horror that deserves the cinematic experience with like-minded people or the company of your own self. His narrative abides with the horrors of the era it represents, and Eliot Rocket’s photography, the make-up, and the special effects department deserve separate praise. As for the editing, West and David Kashevaroff, on the one hand, naturally unfold parallel stories and, on the other hand, break almost all rules of pace and rhythm by connecting sequences… unnaturally. While film theorists would laugh at the way X has been edited, I’d say that the splatter and gory nature of the film justifies any technique under the sun. Intentionally, the porn shooting within the film does not fall far from the film itself.
There are some powerful moments there, such as the stealthy crocodile, the granny waving, and, more or less, every gruesome murder you see on screen, and these moments are very much worth your time. Furthermore, watch out for the impressive performances from Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Kid Kudi, and Britanny Snow. Highly recommended!
P.S. Bear in mind that I was alone in the cinema throughout all this.
P.P.S. Shot in New Zealand.
P.P.S. There is a prequel coming up…
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
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