Why do people love this movie so much? It's tedious. No atmosphere, no sense of suspense, characters with nothing to do except die. Brings in lots of big-seeming concepts with drug-taking liberal hippies vs. conservative religious types but has nothing to say about any of it.
Really well made slow burn from Ti West. Much like his previous films The Innkeepers and House of the Devil it moves slowly at first, builds lots of atmosphere and has quick and shocking third act. Yes the movie is predictable on what is going to happen if you seen a lot of slashers from the 70s, but that is kinda the point. It is a nod to the 70s slasher films with a modern twist to them.
The thing I liked the most about the film is the characters for the most part where likeable. They weren't the typical a'holes that you get in horror films and then watch them die one by one. These characters I actually felt bad for, including the main villain. Well until the villain starts killing. There are a few references to older horror films and some really solid acting by the main cast. If you are easily offended by nudity and violence then stay away but otherwise it is an enjoyable nod to 70s horror. Ti West is clearly a big fan of the genre. Can't wait to see what's next by him.
It's slow for a Slasher, but it develops the characters quite well.
Overall it is watchable, but it lacks in the most important aspect of any Slasher and that is to have a distinct and memorable killer.
At the end I felt like I've wasted my time watching this, there was potential, but I could have been way better.
I didn't think this was anything extraordinary, not sure where all the hype was coming from. Maybe because of the popular young casting? Pretty standard horror film, with some old people sex thrown in for good measure. Not really much of a point to it, and nothing groundbreaking. Downvote me like I give a fuck..
Great camera work, Awesome sound design (The melting of voices with the music), Avant-garde editing to hide the low production costs.
I'm just in love with the multiple homage shots to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the whole commentary on the possibility of making artful porn
I liked West's more subtle approach to 70s and 80s genre movies much better, this one fell flat for me, movie ran out of steam pretty quickly and it didn't feel genuine like in his previous attempts.
Has a really nice style of constantly revealing new information through a change of frame, pushing in or pulling back to reveal something that was there all along that alters the context of what you've just been looking at.
The more I think about it, I would have preferred an older actress to play Pearl. The young person in old lady makeup was distracting. I didn’t know who was under the makeup while watching, so the gimmick was wasted on me.
Also, it follows the Cabin in the Woods formula so closely, it could be viewed as one of their earlier rituals that worked successfully. “This we offer in humility and fear. For the blessed peace of your eternal slumber. As it ever was”.
Quite frankly, though there’s a pervasive sense of foreboding in X, I would have been quite content for it to remain a dramatic comedy about making an arty dirty movie in 1979. The director’s perhaps foolish ambitions are mirrored in X itself, which has artful editing, lighting and points of view. Across the way from that sensuality is an old couple who, despite the wizened old lady’s appetites, isn’t getting any for health reasons. Having this be a dual role for Mia Goth doesn’t really pay off - it’s too prosthetic - but a case could be made for them being the same person essentially, one longing for the past, the other refusing the future. The middle of the film makes you wonder who in this ensemble cast will be the “slasher”, but though there’s a clever play on Psycho to initiate events, I was much less interested in the gory third act. Perhaps the monster is too sympathetic, perhaps the film jettisons too much of what made it interesting in favor of well-worn slasher mechanics. Whatever the case may be, it was just better when it was Boogie Nights or Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Be sure to make X-Men jokes when talking about this movie because A24 is also coming out with a movie called Men. I kid you not. Have we run out of movie titles yet?
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Comments 1 - 11 of 11
moldypoldy
a lot funnier than West's previous stuffmaarow
Why do people love this movie so much? It's tedious. No atmosphere, no sense of suspense, characters with nothing to do except die. Brings in lots of big-seeming concepts with drug-taking liberal hippies vs. conservative religious types but has nothing to say about any of it.samoan
Really well made slow burn from Ti West. Much like his previous films The Innkeepers and House of the Devil it moves slowly at first, builds lots of atmosphere and has quick and shocking third act. Yes the movie is predictable on what is going to happen if you seen a lot of slashers from the 70s, but that is kinda the point. It is a nod to the 70s slasher films with a modern twist to them.The thing I liked the most about the film is the characters for the most part where likeable. They weren't the typical a'holes that you get in horror films and then watch them die one by one. These characters I actually felt bad for, including the main villain. Well until the villain starts killing. There are a few references to older horror films and some really solid acting by the main cast. If you are easily offended by nudity and violence then stay away but otherwise it is an enjoyable nod to 70s horror. Ti West is clearly a big fan of the genre. Can't wait to see what's next by him.
armyofshadows
Pretty typical stuff.Shidan
It's slow for a Slasher, but it develops the characters quite well.Overall it is watchable, but it lacks in the most important aspect of any Slasher and that is to have a distinct and memorable killer.
At the end I felt like I've wasted my time watching this, there was potential, but I could have been way better.
ryano1076
I didn't think this was anything extraordinary, not sure where all the hype was coming from. Maybe because of the popular young casting? Pretty standard horror film, with some old people sex thrown in for good measure. Not really much of a point to it, and nothing groundbreaking. Downvote me like I give a fuck..Esnaider
Great camera work, Awesome sound design (The melting of voices with the music), Avant-garde editing to hide the low production costs.I'm just in love with the multiple homage shots to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the whole commentary on the possibility of making artful porn
kurisu1974
I liked West's more subtle approach to 70s and 80s genre movies much better, this one fell flat for me, movie ran out of steam pretty quickly and it didn't feel genuine like in his previous attempts.Madrey
Interesting? Sure. Groundbreaking? No.It's a shame when movies like this are overhyped and end up disappointing people with high hopes. Just like "Hereditary".
The acting is amazing though! I guess the biggest issue was definitely the makeup of the people who played the older couple. It was awfully done.
SpacedJ
Has a really nice style of constantly revealing new information through a change of frame, pushing in or pulling back to reveal something that was there all along that alters the context of what you've just been looking at.Siskoid
Quite frankly, though there’s a pervasive sense of foreboding in X, I would have been quite content for it to remain a dramatic comedy about making an arty dirty movie in 1979. The director’s perhaps foolish ambitions are mirrored in X itself, which has artful editing, lighting and points of view. Across the way from that sensuality is an old couple who, despite the wizened old lady’s appetites, isn’t getting any for health reasons. Having this be a dual role for Mia Goth doesn’t really pay off - it’s too prosthetic - but a case could be made for them being the same person essentially, one longing for the past, the other refusing the future. The middle of the film makes you wonder who in this ensemble cast will be the “slasher”, but though there’s a clever play on Psycho to initiate events, I was much less interested in the gory third act. Perhaps the monster is too sympathetic, perhaps the film jettisons too much of what made it interesting in favor of well-worn slasher mechanics. Whatever the case may be, it was just better when it was Boogie Nights or Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Be sure to make X-Men jokes when talking about this movie because A24 is also coming out with a movie called Men. I kid you not. Have we run out of movie titles yet?