Summary
WhileMaXXXinereferencesXandPearlmany times, one subtle nod makes the final movie in Ti West’s slasher trilogy even better.MaXXXinefollows 2022’sXand 2023’sPearlto wrap up director Ti West’s critically acclaimed slasher trilogy. ByMaXXXine’s twist ending,PearlandX’sstories come together in a way that is both thematically cohesive and compelling. Mia Goth’s titular heroine becomes the star she wanted to be inX, fulfilling Pearl’s dreams years after defeating her in their violent face-off. Throughout the movie, the characters are frequently contrasted in many subtle ways.
Maxine performs Pearl’s famous dance inMaXXXine’s opening scene, immediately making it clear that the two characters are linked by more than tragedy. To further underline their similarities, Maxine then attends an audition where an emotional monologue earns her a lead role in a horror movie. In contrast,Pearlfamously ended with its tragic villain performing an 8-minute monologue to her final victim after failing an audition.MaXXXine’s entire cast of characterssubtly mirror the supporting stars fromXandPearl, twisting the franchise’s story in on itself before its triumphant conclusion. One early gag makes these connections clear.
Does MaXXXine Have A Post-Credits Scene?
Audiences stepping into MaXXXine might be wondering if there’s a post-credits scene to the horror film, and if it’s worth staying through the credits.
MaXXXine’s Prosthetic Fitting References Mia Goth’s Pearl Transformation
Mia Goth’s Heroine Goes Through Grueling Makeup Tests
After Maxine gains the lead role inThe Puritan II, she gets a plaster cast of her head made for the sequel’s gruesome nightmare sequence. Sophie Thatcher’s friendly makeup technician asks if she’s ever done this before and Maxine pauses, uncertain, before saying she hasn’t. Maxine hasn’t, but her actor Mia Goth has. Famously,Goth endured 9-10 hour stretches in the makeup chair to play the elderly Pearl inX. Goth used this intense experience to get deeper into the character, which paid off in the later prequelPearl.Pearl’s endingwas arguably the trilogy’s most emotionally moving moment..
In the early, scary scene inMaXXXine, Maxine can’t stop picturing Pearl when she’s stuck sitting still with the plaster cast setting on her face. She imagines Pearl’s hands reaching for her and, disturbed and terrified, ending up pulling the thick plaster off her face to escape. In reality, Goth said she got through the lengthy sessions in the makeup chair by using the discomfort to get into Pearl’s mind. This makes the scene work as a meta-gag since both Maxine and the real-life Goth, involuntarily and voluntarily, used torturous makeup sessions to let the elderly Pearl into their minds.
Mia Goth’s X Experience Brings New Meaning To MaXXXine’s Prosthetic Scene
Maxine’s Disastrous Fitting Has A Real-Life Inspiration
MaXXXine’s makeup sequence is an effective scare and, in a movie with more than its fair share of gore, a reminder that West can get under the viewer’s skin without buckets of blood. However, Goth’s real-life experience makes the scene a smart meta-textual moment too.Pearl’s heartbreaking storyis surprisingly sympathetic despite her evil deeds because Goth managed to find the humanity in the troubled character. Similarly,MaXXXineencourages viewers not to judge its heroine but to instead follow her on her journey. Thus,MaXXXine’s makeup scene takes Goth’s experiences makingXand uses them to make the storyPearleven stronger.
