X – A Deep Yet Imperfect Roller Coaster Slasher

Firstly, horror has never been a personal favorite genre due to a general disliking of jump scares and the typical feeling of anxiety that comes from watching them. However, when it came to the talented cast of X, the opportunity regardless of genre was one that was hard to turn down. Taking place in 1979 rural Texas, the story saw a group of young 20-somethings go to a farm, owned by an old man and his wife, for the purpose of shooting an adult film in their barn unbeknownst to the conservative and uber-religious couple. Over the course of the film, the audience is sent down a rollercoaster that is not only entertaining and funny but also terrifying at the same time.

RJ (Owen Campbell) is an aspiring filmmaker who dragged his naïve girlfriend Lorraine (Ortega) in the hopes of making a serious movie. His main stars are Maxine (Goth) and Jackson (Scott Mescudi), who both brought their respective partners, Wayne (Martin Henderson), the executive producer, and Bobby Lynne (Brittany Snow) a fellow adult actress. Touching such themes as the intersection between sex and art and youthful desire, the reckless pursuit of their respectful youthful desires went against the wishes of the older owners and their beliefs. That being said, the big question was when does sex become art? Though the film offers some interesting moments of introspection, it doesn’t really pick a side philosophically thus allowing audiences to make their own conclusions.

Another theme present was that of aging which was also arguably the weakest part of X. The film essentially discusses the fear of aging and the yearning to be youthful again through the characters of Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pear (an unrecognizable Goth underneath some exceptional makeup and prosthetic work) contrasted with their more youthful counterparts. Though its intentions were certainly honorable, their execution left much to be desired. Rather than contemplating the fear of aging, the film and the arcs of Howard and Pearl will more than likely leave audiences confused. And that’s not to say the entire execution was off, its intentions were nothing but good, it’s just the end result was more puzzling than enticing.

Besides the film’s strong themes, X was great on a technical level with the editing being the clear standout. Despite it consistently going back on itself to tell events, the story was still easy to follow. The slow burn story was also well-crafted, carefully building up suspense and tension. West’s direction feels straight from the 1970s as the film’s authenticity went beyond its look, clearly wearing its inspirations on its sleeve in what was an homage to the horror classics of the 1970s and 1980s.

What ultimately holds X together was its charming and exceedingly talented cast, particularly Goth and Ortega. Both avoid the one-note pitfall, adding depth to who easily could have otherwise been very static characters. Despite excellent performances, and a very charming cast that had just the right amount of chemistry together, the character work will leave some wanting more. Though the two were fun to watch, the film was missing character development for the most part.

In the end, X succeeds in telling a good story full of interesting themes and ideas. Though not perfect, they help elevate it to something above a standard horror slasher, giving it depth and allowing audiences to think in the midst of all the scares and gore. Besides the horror, the film is surprisingly funny with well placed comedy throughout. For horror fans, there is enough gore, killing, and slashing to be had that should more than likely keep them entertained though for those wanting a little bit more, the film still gives them a lot to think about as well.

still courtesy of VVS Films

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Jasmine Graham