Does 'MaXXXine' Have an End-Credits Scene? - Collider

The Big Picture

• Ti West's trilogy concludes with MaXXXine, set in 1980s LA, exploring horror in the city's seedy underbelly.
• Each film in the X franchise shares themes around fame and Hollywood, with MaXXXine carrying that torch forward.
• MaXXXine's end-credits scene doesn't directly set up a next chapter, but leaves room for potential future installments or spin-offs.

Ti West’s trilogy centered around Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) and her pursuit of fame concludes with MaXXXine, a neon-soaked tribute to gritty 1980s Los Angeles, which actually does have an end-credit scene. Following X and the prequel Pearl, the nostalgic slasher with noir undertones takes place during the Night Stalker's real-life series of L.A. killings. We explore horror in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, bright studio backlots, and shady houses in the Hollywood Hills. Will anything get in the way of Maxine’s big break in a mainstream horror outing? The X trilogy as a whole is a stunning showcase of filmmaker Ti West’s ability to capture different eras and settings. X evokes the grimy underground feel of the late-1970s Golden Age of porn, while Pearl is set in 1918 rural America in the emerging silent film era and MaXXXine becomes a neon-soaked horror-noir.

Each film is loaded with details that reflect their eras but, while the films are extensively detailed within the film’s runtime, their credits sequences are rarely used to tease future plot elements. X does not have an end-credits scene, though the occasional lucky film patron may have been able to catch a theatrical screening with a preview of Pearl or MaXXXine. Pearl doesn't have an end-credits scene per se, but it does have a fun extension of its final scene continuing behind the film's credits. Pearl's husband finally comes home to see the horrors his wife has wrought, and she lets out “I’m so happy you’re home,” giving him a now-infamous smile that she strains to maintain, unblinkingly faced towards the camera, for nearly two minutes of credits. Does MaXXXine's end-credits scene directly set up the next chapter in the X franchise? Not in any obvious way, but it’s a fun little coda to Maxine’s 1980s adventure.

MaXXXine

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally secures her big break. As she navigates her path to stardom, a mysterious killer begins targeting Hollywood starlets, leaving a trail of blood that threatens to expose her sinister past.

Release Date

July 5, 2024

Director

Ti West

'MaXXXine' Is A Fun Nostalgic Horror Outing With Noir Undertones

While the prequel Pearl fills out X by reinforcing its themes and giving a backstory to the murderous couple at the film's heart, MaXXXine directly answers questions provoked by Maxine Minx’s pursuit of stardom. She does make it to Hollywood, and is setting up to star in the bombastic in-world horror sequel The Puritan II. She can't simply get a break, however, and has to deal with a Hollywood terrorized by the aforementioned Night Stalker, as well as her own mysterious foe. While each film in the X franchise shares themes around the allure of fame, or the pull of sex in puritanical eras, MaXXXine carries that torch forward in surprising ways. In proper Maxine DIY ethos, the aspirant starlet sets out on her own to find her mysterious Hollywood nemesis before it gets in the way of her breakout role. Her search makes the journey a particularly engaging one, as she navigates her make-or-break star vehicle while facing challenges that befit a horror outing and balances all that against an engaging investigation. It’s a blast, and the harrowing search set in the darker corners of 1980s Los Angeles gives the film a touch of noir vibes alongside its throwback slasher energy.

It's a stellar note for Maxine Minx to leave on (if this is indeed the end of the franchise), cementing Maxine's "I will not accept a life I do not deserve" mantra firmly in the minds of many horror fans. While audiences don't see the six preceding years, it's such an organic continuation of her character's journey in X that it's easy to imagine the moments that could fill the space between. The film also reflects an expansion in the character's own sense of self. Her desire to move out of porn and sex work isn't because she now disapproves of the work that made her career so far, but rather it stems from her need to reach higher goals. It's a commanding star vehicle for Mia Goth, and a great set up for a future franchise installment (if that sort of thing comes to pass).

Where Does the 'X' Franchise Go Next?

MaXXXine's marketing has billed it the entire time as the conclusion of the character’s story, and indeed it pays off a lot of what X set up. In landing her big Hollywood break, Maxine Minx is finally in a position to achieve true stardom, her central goal since spilling blood all over our screens in X. The new film ends on a satisfying note, providing clear arc closure for Minx, and there isn’t necessarily anything to tie up. At the same time, West has teased an idea for a fourth film, should MaXXXine perform well. Without spoiling anything around the film's ending, there are ways that West could move the world of MaXXXine chronologically forward in a fourth film. Additionally, the franchise has jumped back in time to give us a lens into Pearl’s origins, then forward again to 1985, six years after Pearl. It could easily revisit Minx in that 6-year window, showcasing another genre in that influential era of film history. That’s not necessarily likely, given West’s penchant for more substantial jumps around in the timeline, but it’s plausible.

Spin-offs are certainly possible, given how Pearl itself is a spin-off around X's centerpiece antagonist. In MaXXXine, Maxine encounters a detective who could possibly fuel her own narrative, or a future film could showcase the tough-as-nails emergent director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debecki). The character makes a charismatic splash onscreen and shares Maxine Minx’s "succeed at any cost" ethos. It’s tough to imagine West making a film in this universe without muse Mia Goth, however. Finally, just as X showcased Mia Goth’s fame-aspirant character in the 1970’s and Pearl saw Goth play another character of similar ilk in an earlier era, West always has the option of throwing Goth into another emergent starlet in a different horror era (please do a Universal-style monster movie). There’s nothing in the film or its end-credits sequence that suggests there are plans on the horizon for a fourth film, spin-off or otherwise, but there are several ways the franchise could move forward if West chooses to carry the torch forward.

MaXXXine is in theaters in the U.S. on July 5. Click below for showtimes near you.

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Does 'MaXXXine' Have an End-Credits Scene? - Collider
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