Jenna Ortega Knows She Will Never Do A Project Like X Again
Ti West's film "X" is set in Texas in 1979 and follows an aspiring troupe of adult filmmakers who aim to shoot their X-rated magnum opus at a remote, secluded farm, outside the purview of the rest of the adult industry. Audiences will immediately intuit that the character will be summarily stalked and killed; "X" is, after all, a slasher film. The killer in question is the owner of the farm, an octogenarian named Pearl, who is driven to envy-inspired murder by the youthful energy and unashamed lust the filmmakers bring onto her property. In an unusual twist of casting, Pearl is played by a makeup-shrouded Mia Goth, who also plays a young adult actor named Maxine Minx.
The horror elements of "X" are standard slasher fare, with characters wandering off alone into dark areas only to be transformed into future forensic evidence by blades and blunt objects. The more interesting elements of West's film come in its conversations. Brittany Snow plays a character named Bobby-Lynn, an adult industry veteran with very open-minded and progressive ideas about the health and necessity of porn. Bobby-Lynn is so compelling in her ideas that she convinces the crew's teenage boom operator Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) to film a sex scene of her own.
Lorraine's arc is the counterpoint to Pearl's. Lorraine moves from being judgmental and prudish to being enthused and sexual. Pearl, meanwhile, has had to remain repressed for decades, lamenting that her opportunities for sexuality are on the wane. While Goth is fine in the role, thematically, Ortega should have played Pearl.
The Year of Ortega
Jenna Ortega, who turned 20 in September 2022, has been acting since age 10, appearing in episodes of "CSI: NY" and "Days of Our Lives." She also began her film career in high-profile blockbusters like "Iron Man 3" and "Insidious: Chapter 2." 2022 has been a banner year for the actor, as she has leapt into the public eye with "X," the fifth "Scream" movie, the amusing "Studio 666," and playing the title character in the Tim Burton-directed "Addams Family" spinoff series "Wednesday" on Netflix.
In a March 2022 interview with Complex, Ortega talked about how working on "X" was unique in her career, and that she enjoyed collaborating with a director like Ti West, who was excited about filmmaking in a way many of her previous directors haven't been. She also described the atmosphere on set (the movie was shot in New Zealand), noting that West was reassuringly assured:
"I was really excited at the opportunity to work with Ti West, just because I had been a fan of his previous horror films. [...] When I had conversations with him about possibly doing this job, he just had a lot of interesting ideas. I don't think I've ever worked with somebody who's so well prepared or so certain in their vision. That's really exciting for an actor just because sometimes you go on set not really knowing what to expect."
It seems that West brought the same philosophy of filmmaking to "X" as his characters bring to their movie-within-the-movie. "X" is about adult filmmakers, but more than that, it's about the can-do spirit often espoused by independent filmmakers.
Waiting through the brainstorming
With a small crew and an excited director, the tone on the set of "X" was freewheeling, and Ti West often indulged in sudden brainstorms. Jenna Ortega said that some patience was required when West went a little wild, suddenly realizing that he could make certain shots far more elaborate. West never delayed production, however, and was always clear and communicative with his cast. As Ortega put it:
"You already knew what your intention was going into the scene, how Ti wanted it and you also knew that you wouldn't move on from a shot until Ti was certain that he got what he needed [...] That also helps you rest a little bit better at night. I know I'll never do a project like it again."
"X" also arrived with a post-credits treat in the form of a preview for a prequel film, "Pearl," that few knew was coming. "X" was released in March 2022 and "Pearl" hit theaters the following September. The latter movie is a tour de force for Mia Goth, who both co-wrote the film and stars as the young Pearl in the 1920s, making for an excellent psychological study far more insightful than the slasher shenanigans of "X." Ortega, sadly, does not appear in "Pearl." It remains to be seen if she will return for a planned third film in the series, "MaXXXine."
If she does, Ortega may have a similar experience to "X," after all.