Ti West returns to the horror genre with a surprisingly wistful ode to 70s schlock cinema in X.
Porn.
A Texas summer night massacre.
But for whatever frothy vivaciousness it brings, whats most striking about the simply titledXis that its no frolic.
While it doesnt always pay off, the exercise yields curious results.
The premise is as straightforward as horror movies can get.
Instead of being a successor to grindhouse sensibilities, its an ode to them.
If onlyXcould sustain that feeling for its full 105-minute running time.
Goth is still doubly effective in both roles.
Ortega also does solid work at cementing her scream queen bona fides in only a handful of months.
But the tantalizing ideas West is grappling with throughoutXremain somewhat thwarted in the ultimately uneven narrative.
Theres a lot of style to the movie, but its tangible substance remains murky.
Xpremiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 13 and opens nationwide on March 18.
Rating:
3 out of 5
