Mia Goth returns as Maxine Minx, an aspiring actress dogged by a serial killer just as she is about to get her big break, in the official trailer of MaXXXine, the third and likely final instalment of Ti West’s X trilogy, following X (2022) and Pearl (2022).
Dropped by production house A24 on Monday, the two-minute-21-second-long trailer begins with Maxine auditioning for a big role that will mark her transition from the adult film industry to mainstream Hollywood cinema. Kevin Bacon makes an appearance as a private eye tasked with uncovering Maxine's sinister past. “The past isn’t done with you,” Bacon warns Maxine, setting the stage for suspenseful sequences reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, such as Maxine staring at the window of an old motel.
Maxine’s past threatens to overshadow the defining role of her career. “Quash it,” says someone to her, to which she replies, “I intend to,” before taking up arms in the following scenes. Lily Collins plays Maxine’s co-star in her first big break. Culminating in a crescendo of Maxine's name, the trailer concludes with Maxine affirming her ascendancy to stardom. “You’re a fucking movie star,” says the actress to herself.
Like all slasher movies,the trailer overflows with jarring visuals — blood splattering on DVD records, blood-soaked shrouds and corpses branded with cryptic symbols. It authentically captures the film’s 1985 setting with vintage convertible cars and neon-lit sign boards. Against the vibrant backdrop of California's streets, a serial killer weaves a crimson thread of murder, hinting at the ominous threat lurking just under the surface.
MaXXXine also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Halsey, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan and Giancarlo Esposito in key roles. It is scheduled to release theatrically in the US on July 5.
