Like it or not, the pornography industry will never be able to replicate the artistry and aesthetic of the films of the 1970s. Pornographic films such as Debbie Does Dallas, Deep Throat, and Behind The Green Door not only reached the reluctant mainstream but also showcased how they aren’t so different from regular movies, strictly in filmmaking terms. The so-called Golden Age of Porn was a special time where love was free, movies were cheap, and evangelical puritans urged repression every chance they got.
X, the first film by genre auteur Ti West in six years, brings audiences back to this period in his own methodical way. It is 1979, and a ragtag group of actors and filmmakers are setting out to make The Farmer’s Daughters, a porno about a man who finds himself at the will of two women before their father comes home. You have starlets Maxine (Mia Goth) and Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow), leading man Jackson (Scott Mescudi), executive producer Wayne (Martin Henderson), and director and boom-operator couple RJ (Owen Campbell) and Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) all looking to make the best dirty film possible. Although they got their set for a steal from an elderly couple, it isn’t long before their true intentions are revealed, setting off a volatile chain of events that results in bloody carnage.
On a purely aesthetic level, X is incredible to watch. If general audiences are anything like me, then they’ll probably be shocked to find that it was shot in New Zealand rather than its setting of Texas, as the desolate landscapes result in some dreary, but effective, longshots that set in just how isolated the crew really is. There is also a distinct graininess in not only the Farmer’s Daughters scenes shot from the perspective of the crew, but throughout the rest of the film as well. Not unlike the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a classic horror film that clearly was an inspiration for West, the way the film is shot gives a unique sense of dread that doesn’t let up until the credits roll.
However, the storytelling on display in the film is next level. There is rich repressive subtext effectively interwoven throughout the film in various ways, from devout Christians having sexual epiphanies to the voyeuristic obsession the elderly couple develops with the team. It sticks with the viewer long after the film ends, leading to animated discussions and tons to unpack. While the way this text is presented might seem hokey in the moment, it feels organic and well-deserved when the film is complete.
If there is one thing to keep in mind before watching the film, it’s to remember its filmmaker. West’s films are often slow, almost numbingly so, before coming to their fruitful conclusion. X is no different, so those unfamiliar with his work might start getting turned off by the lack of kills in the majority of the film. However, when they do come, they don’t disappoint in the least bit due to the impressive practical effects and darkly comedic presentation.
X deserves the hype it’s received ever since its announcement. It is a mean slasher that also isn’t afraid to have fun with its premise and audience expectations. After all, its distributor, A24, has been hailed and mocked in the horror community for their contributions to so-called elevated horror. Instead of trying to make itself seem better than grizzly low-budget slashers of the late 70s and early 80s, X embraces them in a welcome diversion from what viewers have come to expect from the distributor. If you’re privy to ultra-slow burns and satisfying yet tragic kills, you just can’t go wrong here.
