Ti West revives the raw, sun-baked dread of 1970s rural slashers through a story of doomed ambition on a Texas farm.

Ti West’s X arrived in 2022 as a deliberate return to the unpolished intensity of early slasher cinema. Set in 1979, the film follows a group of young filmmakers who travel to a remote property to shoot an adult movie. What begins as a low-budget venture quickly descends into violence when the elderly owners of the land reveal their own violent obsessions. West builds tension through careful period detail and a willingness to let scenes breathe, allowing unease to accumulate without constant jump scares.

Recapturing the 1970s slasher atmosphere

The decision to place the action in 1979 allows X to draw directly from the visual and thematic textures of films such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Grainy cinematography, practical effects and a focus on physicality replace modern digital polish. The camera lingers on the oppressive heat, the dusty roads and the decaying farmhouse, creating an environment that feels lived-in rather than staged. Sound design emphasises creaking floorboards and distant animal calls, heightening the sense that the characters are isolated long before any attack occurs.

Production challenges and period accuracy

West and his crew shot on location in New Zealand to stand in for rural Texas, constructing sets that matched the era’s modest production values. Practical gore effects were prioritised, with prosthetic work and on-set blood rigs delivering the visceral impact expected from 1970s horror. The adult film sequences were handled with the same technical care as the horror scenes, avoiding exploitation for its own sake and instead using them to explore the characters’ motivations and vulnerabilities.

Themes of age, desire and mortality

At its core X examines the collision between youthful ambition and the realities of ageing. The elderly couple, Pearl and Howard, represent both the faded dreams of an earlier generation and a literal threat to the younger intruders. Their resentment manifests in extreme violence, yet the film grants them moments of genuine pathos. This balance prevents the story from becoming a simple morality tale and instead presents a more complex meditation on how society marginalises those who no longer fit conventional standards of attractiveness or productivity.

Sub-genre placement and influences

While marketed as a slasher, X blends elements of the rural horror tradition with meta-commentary on the adult film industry. It sits alongside other modern throwbacks such as The Strangers and You’re Next, yet distinguishes itself through its explicit engagement with 1970s exploitation aesthetics. West has cited directors such as Tobe Hooper and Wes Craven as key influences, and the film wears these references openly without descending into pastiche.

Director in the Spotlight

Ti West began his career with micro-budget features before gaining wider recognition with The House of the Devil in 2009. That film demonstrated his command of slow-burn tension and 1980s period detail. Subsequent works such as The Innkeepers and The Sacrament further refined his interest in confined spaces and psychological pressure. With the X trilogy West expanded his scope while retaining the same commitment to character-driven horror. His filmography includes Trigger Man, House of the Devil, The Innkeepers, The Sacrament, X, Pearl and MaXXXine. West’s approach consistently favours practical effects, location shooting and performers who can sustain long takes without relying on rapid editing.

Actor in the Spotlight

Mia Goth delivers dual performances as the ambitious adult-film actress Maxine and the elderly Pearl. Born in 1993, Goth trained in London before moving into independent cinema. Her early roles in Nymphomaniac and The Survivalist established her ability to portray complex, often damaged characters. In X she transforms physically for the role of Pearl, wearing extensive prosthetics while still conveying the character’s lingering vitality and rage. Goth’s filmography includes A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, Emma, X, Pearl and MaXXXine. Her willingness to explore both seductive charisma and grotesque decay anchors the film’s thematic concerns about the passage of time.

Legacy and continuing relevance

X proved that audiences remain receptive to horror films that prioritise atmosphere and performance over franchise familiarity. Its commercial success led directly to the prequel Pearl and the sequel MaXXXine, forming a trilogy that traces the evolution of the horror genre across decades. The film also sparked renewed discussion about the representation of older characters in horror, challenging the assumption that violence and desire belong exclusively to the young. By grounding its terrors in recognisable 1970s techniques, X demonstrates that classic slasher conventions retain power when handled with intelligence and craft.

Bibliography

West, T. (2022) X. A24.

Hooper, T. (1974) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Vortex.

Craven, W. (1972) The Last House on the Left. Sean S. Cunningham Films.

Newman, K. (2022) ‘Ti West’s X and the return of rural horror’, Sight and Sound, 32(4), pp. 22-27.

Jones, A. (2023) Modern Horror Cinema: From Scream to X. Wallflower Press.

IMDb (2024) X (2022) Full Cast and Crew. Available at: https://www.imdb.com (Accessed: 12 October 2024).

British Film Institute (2023) Ti West: In Conversation. BFI Southbank.

Rotten Tomatoes (2024) X (2022) Critics Consensus. Available at: https://www.rottentomatoes.com (Accessed: 12 October 2024).

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