By John Mulderig | Catholic News Service
NEW YORK (CNS) — Scenes of obscenity give way to horrendous bloodletting in the twisted horror tale “X” (A24). Writer-director Ti West’s noisome flick also attacks evangelical Christianity, portraying it as the inspiration for murderous hate.
It’s freewheeling 1979 and aspiring pornographer Wayne (Martin Henderson) has rented a disused boarding house on the remote property of an elderly couple, Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (artificially aged Mia Goth), to use as his set. There, his “star,” would-be celebrity Maxine (also Goth), will head the cast of a bit of smut called “The Farmer’s Daughters.”
The production schedule is more than a little set back, however, once the behavior of the filmmakers’ hosts morphs from merely creepy to psychotic. Their potential victims include not only Wayne and Maxine but brassy supporting actress Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and leading man Jackson (rapper Kid Cudi), an ex-Marine.
The murderers, we’re shown, are guided, along the path of their killing spree, by the rants of a televangelist (Simon Prast). Wayne and his friends, by contrast, have liberated themselves from such outmoded notions as sin. Given the rapidity with which they’re dispatched to the next world, though, they’re on track to discover their error in that regard sooner rather than later.
The film contains extreme bloody violence, excessive sexual content, including graphic activity and full nudity, blasphemy, drug use, a few uses of profanity, a couple of milder oaths and considerable rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.