Stephen King offers high praise for MaXXXine, A24’s upcoming slasher film. Written and directed by Ti West, this horror movie serves as the third installment in West’s thrilling X film series, which began with the release of X in 2022. Following the great reception to X, a prequel titled Pearl quickly followed just months after its predecessor’s release, and now MaXXXine — which brings backs Mia Goth, the series’ lead, and adds other new names like Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan — is set to serve as a direct sequel to X.
Now, shortly before the release of MaXXXine, famous author Stephen King provides a positive review of the A24 film on his official X account. Check out his post below:
The 76-year-old was succinct in his praise of the horror movie, simply calling it “terrific.”
Since the inception of the X film series in 2022, the two released installments have both been well received by critics and fans. X received praise for its fresh take on the classic slasher formula and also for how well it kept its audience entertained, while Pearl, the prequel which was released only 6 months later, also received a similar reception, with Goth’s performance a notable standout. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that King isn’t the only one offering high praise for the third installment MaXXXine.
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There are complicated layers that Goth needs to bring to the surface, and she delivers a layered character who is equal parts victim and survivor.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, MaXXXine holds an approval rating of 77%, with the website’s consensus on the movie reading, “Intoxicating with its maxxximal style, MaXXXine is an uneven but vibrant pastiche that drives a stiletto through Hollywood’s heart.” Even though its approval rating isn’t as high as that of its predecessors, which both boast over 90%, MaXXXine’s early rating is still very respectable.
MaXXXine
was initially set to conclude the
X
film series, but earlier in the year, West stated that he had plans for a fourth installment, but its release is dependent on the reception of
MaXXXine.
Aside from the stellar performances, another major notable thing about MaXXXine is that it can be enjoyed as a standalone movie, and audiences don’t necessarily have to have seen the previous installments to be able to follow the movie. MaXXXine is set for release on July 5, and thus, fans of West’s ongoing horror series will soon be able to enjoy and assess the latest installment for themselves.
As the author of iconic stories such as IT and The Shining, King is especially well-known when it comes to horror. Many consider him to be a master of the genre, and because of that, his endorsement of a project can be especially helpful in drawing in viewers. King’s MaXXXine review, as simple as it is, will no doubt pique the interest of those who might not be caught up on the rest of the X series, but will be swayed by the writer deeming it “terrific.”
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Horror writer and fan Stephen King often takes to social media to share his favorite classic and modern genre films, and he has some great picks.
King has built a reputation for himself by posting his thoughts on several movies and shows. While he often keeps his reviews short and sweet, they garner an impressive amount of engagement online, indicating people take his opinions seriously. In recent weeks, he’s spoken highly about A Quiet Place: Day One and Netflix’s surprise shark hit Under Paris. Additionally, proving his interests go beyond horror, King shared a positive note about Japanese sensation Godzilla Minus One when it first arrived on Netflix.
King has also proven himself to be outspoken about all kinds of topics within Hollywood, including the current debate over Kevin Costner’s pricey passion project Horizon: An American Saga. The Western debuted at the end of June to mixed reviews and an underwhelming box office gross, and the reception has sparked think pieces and debates over why viewers didn’t turn out. King spoke out in defense of Costner and his movie, and in the process, took a shot at the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In part, King wrote,
“Why in God’s name would anyone luxuriate in the failure of a film that isn’t a sequel or part of the, God save us, ‘Marvel universe?'”
Though West’s X movies are critical darlings, they’ve never been the biggest box office performers. This is far from a knock against the franchise; as A24 releases, they aren’t quite mainstream draws. MaXXXine will release over the Fourth of July weekend opposite the splashy new release Despicable Me 4, which got its start on Wednesday. The target audiences of Despicable Me 4 and MaXXXine essentially have no overlap, so the former shouldn’t cause trouble for the slasher.
|
Movie |
Opening Weekend |
Domestic Box Office |
Worldwide Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
|
X (2022) |
$3.1 million |
$9.4 million |
$10.1 million |
|
Pearl (2022) |
$4.2 million |
$11.8 million |
$15.1 million |
MaXXXine‘s biggest competition will be holdover A Quiet Place: Day One, a movie that veers more towards disaster flick than traditional horror, but still packs in thrills. The X sequel is projected to earn about $7 million for the weekend, which would be a franchise best. It could be that King’s review will intrigue moviegoers and give it a boost, but it still seems likely that MaXXXine will stick within its projected range. Nevertheless, it would be a success for the horror series, and could very well lead to another installment in the future.
Source: Stephen King/Twitter
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx lands her big break, but her rise to stardom is jeopardized by a mysterious killer targeting starlets. As the body count rises, secrets from Maxine’s past threaten to surface, intertwining her quest for fame with a deadly game of survival.
