X

The house doesn’t offer much: it’s old, run-down, and in the middle of nowhere. But that’s what makes it so interesting for producer Wayne Gilroy ( Martin Henderson ) and director RJ ( Owen Campbell ), after all, they both need a place where they can shoot their porn undisturbed. And so they set off, joined by actor Jackson Hole ( Scott Mescudi ), strippers Maxine ( Mia Goth ) and Bobby-Lynne ( Brittany Snow ), and RJ’s audio engineer friend Lorraine ( Jenna Ortega ). The First Meeting with Howard ( Stephen Ure) is a bit uncomfortable. But after the difficult start, they are in good spirits and give themselves more and more to the shooting. If only it weren’t for Howard and his weird wife…

Most horror fans should have more or less written off Ti West by now. After being known for films like The Innkeeper, he switched genres in 2016 and tried his hand at the humorous western In A Valley of Violence. Although it was well received by critics, it flopped badly at the box office. And so he turned his back on cinema altogether, for many years. Now and then he worked on series, for example, shot individual episodes for Soundtrack and Them. However, his time as an independent storyteller seemed to be over. All the more surprising is the comeback he is now making with X celebrates. Because this means a return to the roots in several respects.

It’s not just about the fact that he’s presenting his first horror film since The Sacrament in 2013. Rather, the story about a porn crew that is in the wrong place at the wrong time represents a journey through time. This takes place in 1979 when people were just beginning to realize how much money could be made with such homemade sex films. Accordingly, at the beginning of the film, there is also a rather exuberant spirit of optimism. The team dreams of fame, wealth – and of course lots of sex. X could therefore have been a portrait of the times. A historical counterpart to Pleasure if you like. If only it weren’t for an early scene where West anticipates the ending. An end that will also mean a bloody and brutal end for the characters. It won’t be revealed who exactly died prematurely. But it will likely affect several people.

• X 2022