PLOT SUMMARY: A group of filmmakers, rent out a house on the farm to make an adult movie. When the elderly hosts find out what they are up to, the filmmakers have to try to survive the night.
In a movie titled X you would not be mistaken in assuming that the story would revolve around a lot of adult situations. The poster definitely hints at it too. So in a movie that is one hour and forty five minutes, one hour of it is generously given away to a theme that is supposed to titillate and does little to set up the "villains" of the movie.
Still, X is a unique slasher movie and the kills are shocking and sudden. The story efficaciously melds themes of sensuality and horror but that occurs only in the second half.
The first half trods at a leisurely pace, establishing the characters but not really making us want to sympathize with them. Although we do feel a small connection with Lorraine, who is called Churchmouse by the rest of the crew.
X Movie Plot
The movie begins with Maxine looking at herself in the mirror. Her boyfriend Wayne comes to pick her up and promises her stardom. Maxine takes one look at herself to ascertain that yes she is a symbol of sensuality.
She walks out and we learn she works at a topless bar. She gets inside a van where we meet Bobby, Jackson, Lorraine and her boyfriend RJ.
Lorraine seems curious about the people in the van with her and not at all thrilled to be working for those who make adult movies. Her boyfriend assures her even as Bobby and her boyfriend Jackson start making out in front of anyone who dares to watch.
There is some talk about living the big American Dream and how they are glad they have the opportunity to work in a movie than whatever they had to do to survive in their mundane lives.
Soon enough the reach the farm where they've rented a house to shoot the adult movie titled: The farmer's daughter.
Wayne goes to get the keys and is held at gunpoint by the owner who is quite old. Wayne helps him remember who he is and the old man, called Howard, shows him to the house. He stares a lot at Maxine and Wayne passes a comment to which Howard replies that he dislikes the lot of them and then he leaves.
The group shrug it off and get to the matter at hand.
Bobby can't wait to get into her role and the very first scene is of her on a bed with Jackson.
Throughout it all, Lorraine watches with great interest even though she is saddled with carrying the equipment.
While the shooting is going on, Maxine heads off to the lake to relax. Unknown to her, Howard's wife Pearl is watching Maxine with great interest.
But she's not the only voyeur there. An alligator has set his sights upon Maxine too. Clearly the alligator isn't too hungry and just wants to play, so while Maxine is casually swimming about, the alligator sneaks up on her and Maxine barely has a chance to climb out before the alligator nears her. Lucky for Maxine, she doesn't figure out that she was almost eaten up alive and heads towards the house only to find Pearl waiting for her.
Pearl invites her inside and this scene is intercut with the scenes being shot for the movie. Bobby, pretending to the the farmer's promiscuous daughter offers Jackson some lemonade. Maxine is given lemonade too which she quickly gulps down and then makes excuses about her boyfriend waiting for her.
Wayne is waiting for her but mostly because it is Maxine's turn to ride Jackson. This time Pearl too peeks in while Lorraine makes her fascination for these kind of movies obvious.
In the evening, Lorraine stares at Maxine who points it out. Lorraine wants to know how how Maxine and Bobby can sleep with other people when they have boyfriends. Maxine and Bobby both tell her the difference between spending the night with someone and having a boyfriend. And of course their boyfriends don't mind anyway.
Lorraine makes a snap decision. She wants to be in the movie too.
While all this is going on and Bobby is singing, Pearl is trying to seduce Howard who simply isn't that interested.
RJ storms out and Wayne goes after him stating that if he protests too much, Lorraine will want to do it even more and maybe go after several men instead. RJ points out that Wayne, who is the executive producer, just wants more skin in the movie. Wayne is sleazy but stands up for Maxine when RJ comments about Lorraine being nice and not like the others.
RJ relents and has to watch Lorraine act out a scene with Jackson.
L³ater at night, RJ cries in the shower while everyone is asleep. He decides to leave the farm and ditch everyone. He gets in his truck when Pearl comes before him. RJ moves to help her and she in turn, who didn't get what she wanted from Howard, seduces him. RJ is obviously not seduced by a woman who is mostly skeleton with white hair.
Pearl, not appreciating being rejected twice in one night, goes on to stab RJ right in the neck. She goes on stabbing him until the headlights are covered in blood droplets.
Lorraine wakes up in the middle of the night and can't find her boyfriend in bed. She goes outside and calls for him, waking up Wayne who is in his underwear. Lorraine asks for his help and he obliges, not bothering to dress up.
They go their separate ways with Lorraine ending up at the house near Howard and Wayne finds himself at the barn. While looking for RJ, he first steps on a board with a nail sticking out and then goes to peep out the holes in the wall when he hears a noise.
Considering what she looks like, Pearl is pretty agile and devious. And has a good eye and deducing powers. For example she was absolutely certain Wayne would be using the holes to look out, giving her the opportunity to use a pitchfork to stab him in the eyes.
Out pops Wayne's eyeballs and he collapses.
It's been more than an hour into the movie now and the killings come quickly.
Who is next?
Lorraine is trapped by Howard in the cellar.
Pearl, covered in blood, goes into the house and sleeps next to Maxine. She has a strange obsession with Maxine and as viewers, we must connect the dots.
Yes, both are played by the same actress. Howard probably stared at Maxine before because she looked like a young pearl. Pearl probably has the same history as Maxine or envies her promiscuity and wishes she was like her so that her husband could find her desirable. Turns out Howard is turned on by murder.
Anyway, she lays down next to Maxine and caresses her, and goes on to touch her inappropriately.
Maxine eventually wakes up and gets the shock of her life. She screams and Bobby finally awakens to look for her.
In the meantime, Lorraine attempts to escape using an axe and smashes the door on the side farther away from the lock. She reaches a hand out only to have it smashed by Howard who tells her to stay inside.
Howard also enlists Jackson's help to find Pearl. Jackson obviously shows up at the door in all his glory to show exactly why he was given the lead in the adult movie. He at least wears some clothes before venturing out, unlike Wayne who was comfortable enough in his undies.
Jackson is unceremoniously shot and done with.
At the house, Bobby sees Pearl leave Maxine's room. Maxine is inconsolable as she screams that an old woman was touching her. She scrubs herself clean while Bobby goes to look for the others. She finds Pearl standing by the docks and takes pity on who she thinks is an old woman suffering from dementia.
Pearl makes rude comments before pushing Bobby in. The alligator comes up promptly to snack on her. Just why didn't the alligator take a bite of Maxine? Did she not appear tasty enough? Or was the alligator put off by the blue eye shadow? Nevertheless, the alligator seems to be a longtime pal of Pearl's since she knew what would happen and the alligator too was waiting by the docks.
Anyone left? Yes, Maxine and Lorraine.
X Ending Explained with Spoilers!
Howard and Pearl reconnect and are turned on by the killings. Maxine is hiding under the bed after realizing what is going on.
She crawls out and heads out to the van only to find the keys missing. She also sees RJ's corpse. She then takes the gun from the glove compartment and heads out. She hears Lorraine's cries coming from the cellar and goes to save her.
Lorraine is beside herself, certain that she is being punished for removing the cross necklace and taking part in an adult film. She refuses Maxine's help and announces that she hates her.
Maxine tries to get her to stick together but Lorraine opens the door and runs out only to be shot in the face.
Howard drags her inside and when Lorraine makes a noise, he is startled and gets a heart attack. Considering he had just completed a strenuous deed and then murdered someone, clearly, it was too much for his heart.
Pearl freaks out and that is when Maxine makes her presence known. In the other room, an evangelist goes on and on about his discourse.
When the evangelist tries to rouse the audience by saying "I will live the life I deserve", Maxine says the same thing to Pearl who is accusing her of being a sinful person.
Maxine uses the gun only to find it doesn't work. Pearl picks up the gun Howard was using and aims it at Maxine.
Maxine ducks, the recoil pushes Pearl out almost comically. Maxine recovers, demands for the keys and heads to the van.
Pearl begs for help as she has broken her hip. Maxine naturally doesn't care for the woman who wiped out her friends. She gets in as Pearl calls out at her for being a sinner and a promiscuous woman. Maxine has had enough and reverses, driving over Pearl's head twice until her head explodes.
Then she drives away talking about the whether the Lord will save them all or not.
The TV is still running and the evangelist shows him a picture of his daughter who ran away. It is Maxine's.
This explains how Maxine knew the evangelists words and had purposely taken a different path to sin.
In the last scene, the sheriff and deputy are at the scene of the crime and find a video camera. They guess that the movie in it must be a horror movie.
It is.
The end.
X is definitely a unique horror slasher movie and has the potential to be a cult classic. The movie is based in the late 70s and definitely has the touch of horror movies made in the seventies and eighties. It will be interesting to see a prequel on Pearl to find out just what exactly makes her tick and her path that led her to these circumstances depicted in X.
Scare Scale: 3.5/5
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