43. X (2022) dir. Ti West

Ti West's "X" is a special movie, man. It's got all the trappings of a '70s exploitation flick: big hair and bold makeup, chunky gore and a thick layer of grime. Simple premise - A crew rents out a farmhouse for a few days to shoot a porno. While they're there, the creepy owners get right to terrorizing everyone. But what makes "X" work is the "how," the atmosphere that never quite lets me settle into this world. The characters don't always act the way you'd expect. A scene can play out tender, comedic and disturbing within the span of 60 seconds. And don't even get me started on the fact that Ti West made this the middle portion of a recently announced trilogy featuring prequel PEARL and sequel MAXXXINE. It's a wild swing of a risk that, so far, is hitting a home run.---Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠& ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠Financially support the podcast via the ⁠⁠tip jar!