Back in 2022 director Ti West and star Mia Goth brought two films to life. One was the 1970s-set X, which introduced Maxine and Pearl. Their follow up that year, Pearl, gave an origin story for one half of Goth’s characters. But what about the future of Maxine?

We got that answer in the form of the third film in the trilogy, MaXXXine, which opens wide today. It takes the action in the 1980s and brings the focus back to Maxine and her life after the events of X.

The film picks up in 1985 where Maxine (Goth) is now one of the biggest stars in adult films. But she wants to be a mainstream star that stays in the public consciousness. Now in her 30s, Maxine is ready to leave her past behind—if she can. And she delivers a great interview, catching the eye of director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), who is hoping to create high art with her new horror film, Puritan II.

While this is Maxine’s big break, not everything is going perfectly in her life. The Night Stalker is prowling Los Angeles, and soon two of her friends end up murdered. Their case looks like it might tie into the ongoing manhunt, but detectives Williams (Michelle Monaghan) and Torres (Bobby Cannavale) think there’s more to it. They’re convinced that Maxine has the answers, but she’s hesitant to talk.

In addition to avoiding the cops, Maxine is avoiding her past. She ran from the events in Texas and changed her name to make it in Hollywood. Now, a shady private detective (Kevin Bacon) is threatening to bring her past into the light of day on behalf of a mysterious—and dangerous—client. So, Maxine turns to her agent (Giancarlo Esposito) to help and tries to put it all behind her to deliver a performance that will change her future.

The back-to-back releases of X and Pearl brought many fans to this story and these characters. The question was how it would continue. For my part, I wasn’t a fan of the first two installments. X was something of a slog for me, while I appreciated the production and style of Pearl without being drawn to the story.

So, I went into MaXXXine with modest expectations. But I liked the way this came together better, making it easily my favorite installment of the three. I liked the 1980s setting and the style that West uses to build the time frame. I also liked the way he incorporated real life events to add to the tension of the story.

The setting on Hollywood backlots, including featuring an iconic movie location, was also fun. It added to the production and some of the tension. This isn’t an over-the-top horror. When the kills or action sequences come, they’re memorable. But much of this film is built through a more old-fashioned technique—the tension of the unseen.

For her part, Goth sinks into this character and gives a strong lead performance. I enjoyed the choices and the way she brought the character to life. She’s comfortable in the role and that confidence comes through on screen.

The negative here is the ultimate reveal, and a lot of the third act confrontation is something of a letdown. I really enjoyed what led up to it, but the final 25 minutes were sometimes underwhelming. Still, the rest of the film was strong enough for me to still appreciate the journey. For fans of the series and the genre, this will be worth checking out.

MaXXXine is now playing nationwide.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.