Mia Goth and Ti West reunite for MaXXXine: What can we expect from this 80s horror mashup?
It may just be a one minute teaser trailer but the internet is already obsessing over our first glimpse into the latest instalment of the X trilogy. Whether you’re a fan of horror movies or, like me, left childhood sleepovers severely traumatised, Mia Goth and director Ti West’s recent collaborations aren’t ones to miss. But all the style, fashion and fits emerging from the latest instalment in the trilogy is anything but horrifying.
Unlike her characters that are desperately seeking fame, Goth is well on her way to stardom. Deemed horror’s new Ii girl, the 29-year-old British actress is well and truly carving her name (in blood) into Hollywood. Goth’s filmography is eclectic, ranging from horror flicks, to period dramas like Emma, a film she starred in alongside fellow Brit actress Anya Taylor-Joy.
This year, she’ll be returning to our screens in the psychological thriller Infinity Pool directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of the acclaimed body horror enthusiast and director David Cronenberg. Now that’s what you call range.
Despite a growing career in film, Goth has also established herself as a fashion guru and alternative it girl. A long term relationship with Miu Miu has seen her star in the brand’s SS15 campaign, which was subsequently criticised for sexualising a young girl despite Goth being 22 years old at the time. Her innocent looks might have worked for movies but not for Miu Miu, it seemed.
More recently, the actress also opened the label’s FW23 show earlier this year, looking very librarian chic, a stark contrast to Pearl’s get up.
Despite coming second in the plot line, the first movie X follows an amateur film crew striving to make a porno in an elderly couple’s eerily remote Texan ranch. We also see a very different side to Goth’s co-stars Jenna Ortega and Brittany Snow—it’s safe to say that the Wednesday pigtails have very much been chopped and severed off for Ortega.
Set in the late 70s, X is a vision of oversized collars, blown out hair and powder blue eyeshadow. That, combined with the plot line—think Daisy Jones & The Sixth gone immensely wrong. Without scrutinising the credits, you’re likely to have missed that Goth plays both the young adult film actor Maxine Minx, and the elderly Pearl loaded in prosthetics. It’s a horror movie after all, it would be rude not to.
In contrast to the prequel, in which Goth took on the role of a much younger Pearl on her quest for fame and fortune, in MaXXXine, the actress sports playful pigtails and prairie dresses. Pearl, the movie, provides us with a backstory for X’s antagonists. Without giving too much away after watching the prequel, echoes of Pearl screaming “Please, I’m a star! Noooo I’m a star!” will haunt you right into MaXXXine’s much guarded release date.
A24 really put the tease in teaser trailer, with a one-minute pan of the Hollywood sign being replaced by the film’s title. What we do know is that the film is set in Los Angeles in 1985 and that Goth will reprise her role of Pearl accompanied by none other than American singer Halsey.
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In a stand-alone promo pic, Pearl seems to have got everything she wanted striding through LA in a glittery bodycon mini-dress. Her blown out 70s curls and eyebrows have been frazzled with peroxide. Would we be naive enough to think blondes really do have more fun? Pearl’s terrifying past says yes.
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The release date is yet to be announced but we’re sure when we are finally brought into Pearl’s 1980s world, the TikTok trends will quickly emerge. Bleached brows will make a comeback, whether you like it or not. Colour blocking is an 80s staple, especially with bold colours and bodycon silhouettes. As she makes her transition from music to movies, Halsey makes a case for oversized fur coats and buzzcuts.
It may still be early days for MaXXXine but so far it’s looking more cool than creepy. With a flurry of famous faces joining Halsey and Goth, including Elizabeth Debicki who swaps her royal pearls from The Crown for Pearl herself while Lily Collins attempts to redeem her reputation after the polarising Emily In Paris. Being set in the 80s, West couldn’t avoid being also joined by 80s icon and recent TikTok star Kevin Bacon.
While we wish Pearl all the best in her upcoming 80s adventure, feel-good films just aren’t Goth’s style. For now, we can relish in the bliss of teaser trailers and look forward to being inundated with 80s fashion that’ll slice through all the Y2K chaos. At some point the winds are bound to change and horror, gore and a whole bunch of creepy smiles will prove fame and fortune is much easier said than done.
