Is MaXXXine woke?

Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.

Wokeness Analysis

MaXXXine, the concluding chapter of Ti West's X trilogy, elevates woke messaging to a prominent level where ideology increasingly overshadows the slasher entertainment. Set against the 1980s backdrop of Satanic Panic and the Night Stalker murders, the film portrays conservative Christians and the Moral Majority as hypocritical villains, culminating in the revelation that the killer is Maxine's televangelist father leading a fundamentalist cult that brands victims with Satanic symbols to expose Hollywood's 'sinful' influence. This heavy-handed twist serves as a progressive lecture against religious zealotry, Christian nationalism, and censorship efforts like those by Tipper Gore or PMRC, framing them as the true monsters rather than the porn industry or violence in media. Critics from conservative-leaning outlets note this as an 'in-your-face religious message' that feels unearned and preachy, designed to vilify right-wing values while celebrating sexual liberation and Hollywood ambition. Additional woke elements include Maxine's empowerment rants that play like 2024 feminist monologues, with her stomping attackers in scenes of forced girlboss agency; a female director discoursing on gender inequalities through a modern lens; and a female detective calling out a male partner's toxic masculinity in anachronistic dialogue. Diversity is present with majority female cast and roles like Leon (Moses Sumney), but it feels organic to the porn-Hollywood setting rather than tokenistic. While the neon-soaked gore, Mia Goth's star turn, and homages to 80s slashers provide escapism, the plot bends to serve ideological points—defending smutty art against Puritanical foes—alienating viewers tired of such agendas. The messaging dominates the third act, turning potential horror thrills into a morality play where progressivism triumphs over tradition, confirming its heavily ideological bent.

Plot

Six years after the bloody events of X, Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) has risen as a popular adult film star in 1985 Los Angeles, working peep shows while auditioning for mainstream roles. She lands the lead in The Puritan II, a controversial horror sequel amid protests from Moral Majority types decrying media corruption. As real-life Night Stalker Richard Ramirez terrorizes the city, a mysterious killer begins targeting young women in Maxine's orbit, leaving Satanic-branded bodies and VHS tapes from her past. Pursued by sleazy private eye John Labat (Kevin Bacon) hired by a figure from her history, LAPD detectives (Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale), and her own traumas, Maxine fights for stardom and survival. Directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), the film blends slasher kills, Hollywood satire, and 80s excess with references to Psycho, Buster Keaton, and video nasties, culminating in a bloody confrontation tied to Maxine's origins.