X is a film that by all accounts should be a lot better than it is. Director Ti West tries for a Texas Chainsaw Massacre type throwback film and while many areas of it does succeed it just doesn’t fulfill what could have been.
Set to look like a gritty 70s era film, we follow a young group of aspiring adult filmmakers who rent out a house on a secluded farm in the middle of nowhere from two elderly people. Producer Wayne making every attempt to cut costs brings his own staff aboard to make the adult film and after being warned by the land owner to keep away from his wife still manages to not be able to do that. From there what should have been an easy shoot turns into an evening of terror and violence.
What should be said those ex is actually funny with a dry sense of humor, out of sight gags, and one-liners that actually deliver. The film manages to do well with the script that it has and tries to do something instead of being straight serious. Sadly the same cannot be said for the tension and horror in the film. While the filmmaking is brilliant often times looking as if it were straight shot from film in the 70s, for every scene that delivers a tense moment there are two behind it that don’t.
I even expected more from the violence and gore here. While some moments work great, it isn’t particularly fresh or new in any aspects of the violence. It never looks bad mostly but it feels uninspired at times. It does take you through some twists and turns it with it though which is refreshing even if the build up to some of it isn’t.
It was refreshing however to see a cast work so well together. Grand performances from all included with Brittany Snow and Jenna Ortega standing out here. Even with the worst of their bunch of rag tag adult filmmakers they are all likable enough to still root for and want to see survive.
For all the praise X got I just don’t entirely see it. While it doesn’t do much wrong, it also doesn’t try to change the game at all. It kept itself from falling into almost spoof territory but it can’t help at times but to feel as a chore to get through. By the time bodies start falling too you see that not even the violence is trying its hardest. Hopefully the next run of this will do a little better. Its worth a watch but don’t expect much.
Score :
2.5 / 5
