Ian’s review published on Letterboxd:
69/100
”Must be one goddamn fucked up horror picture.”
Every single moment of the film is clear in both it’s obvious love and homage to the many slasher films that jump started the sub-genre in the 70s; an even more obvious love for the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre from the mastermind of Tobe Hooper is shown here to define everything that you are going to see. This is where Ti West delivers in all his greatness. His ability to create a slow burn film that festers itself in West’s ability to draw out each and every scene just a hair too much to make you feel uncomfortable in its uncertainty of future. Yes, the predictability of slasher is there, but with the atmosphere built around it creates a uniquely different feeling watching it all unfold.
However! Despite my absolute love for how much West creates the sense of dread and the sheer amount of love of slasher he pours in buckets here, I simply wish the killers gave off more of a sense of urgency in their killings. Now don’t get me wrong, the absolute wickedness and disturbance I felt watching these old people go through the film made me uncomfortable in my own skin at what I was watching unfold l, when it came time to the killings I just never felt like there was a sense that shocked me or like they weren’t really built up to the suspense. I guess maybe I just found myself more interested in the atmosphere than the actual depth of it all.
Not to diminish the overall film because the performances are something that helps Ti West’s film feel like a breath of fresh air. Mia Goth is spectacular in both roles and I didn’t even know she was playing both and that in of itself is impressive. But the real scene stealers were Brittany Snow and Kid Cudi; just made everything better in every scene they were in and I couldn’t help but love everything they said. Then, of course, Jenna Ortega is great here too. Wish she could’ve gotten some more time, but when the cast was this good it’s understandable.
This was boarding on the four star rating and I even flip flopped it a few times deciding on which to give it, but something just held me back. Maybe I’ll grow to love this even more on an eventual rewatch (given this is a first-rate slasher) but for now I feel pretty comfortable in what I feel. Ti West’s X has the gore, the sex, the clear cut direction and slicing of unique editing that I feel only works here and it’s done perfectly. Wish more modern slashers took this approach to just give us the kills - don’t be a carbon copy of a classic, use the base and create something if you’re own, cause it’s solid.
