X Ending Explained: The Importance Of Being Randy
Ti West's 2022 film "X" is a stylish but largely off-the-rack slasher movie wherein victims are stalked and killed, one by one, in standard slasher movie location #31 — in this case, a remote country farm. Curiously, the film's violence and everyday slasher elements are its weakest, with West filming various slayings with only slightly more panache than one might see in a random slasher sequel from the mid-1980s. As a grumpy old Gen-Xer who grew up during the heyday of slashers, I was unimpressed with West's more or less faithful recreation.
There are, however, some intriguing themes of lust and loss that made "X" warrant slightly closer attention than many of your average slasher movies. "X" is set in Texas in 1979 — already giving off "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" vibes — and follows a group of adult filmmakers who have been, for unstated reasons, drummed out of the mainstream porn scene. They want to make an ambitious, daringly arty adult feature but have to leave city limits in order to do so. The only location they could find was a Texan farmhouse owned by the elderly Howard (Stephen Ure) and his wife Pearl (Mia Goth). Goth, one might know, was in her late 20s when she filmed "X," and required extensive makeup to play Pearl. Goth also played one of the adult film's young actors, Maxine.
While the adult filmmakers shoot their dirty movie, Pearl stalks the set, spying on the sex with a mixture of utter titillation and distant sadness. Later in the film, she flirts with Maxine and even attempts to slip into bed with her. Pearl, one can see, is rediscovering the lost lust of her youth. She longs to be in her own young, zesty, horny body again. In the case of "X," it's literal.
What you need to remember about the plot of X
Despite all of the sexual hysteria and themes of long-gone sexual opportunity, "X" is very openly sex-positive. The character Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) is an adult film star who, when asked, gives an eloquent speech about the importance of porn in a sex-negative world. Those who would accuse Bobby-Lynne of doing something "dirty" or even "immoral" would be lambasted by the character as being repressed or envious. Too many people, she feels, choke back their hornier impulses, and adults don't engage in healthy, fun, energizing sex often enough. Porn, she argues, is a celebration and an encouragement of those ideals. The young Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) is so intrigued by Bobby-Lynne's ideas of sexual freedom that she asks to appear in the adult feature.
Porn and sex = good. Repression of lust = bad. With Mia Goth, we see both sides of that equation. Maxine is a porn star, ambitious and in touch with her sexuality. Pearl clearly regrets that her most sexual days are behind her, and has been driven mad by envy, jealous that a new generation is allowed to be so liberated while she has always been forced to stay repressed. Most of these ideas are communicated through Pearl's behavior and violent outbursts, rather than lamenting speeches. Notably, Pearl is dismayed when propositions Howard, and he claims he can't, citing a weak heart. Spirit vis-à-vis flesh, etc.
Note that Goth returned to play the young Pearl in, West's prequel "Pearl," which was released only six months after "X." The prequel film reinforces these notions, detailing every single one of Pearl's deferred romantic dreams and cinematic ambitions. Goth gave one of the best performances of the year in "Pearl." I shall avoid mentioning it here, however, preferring to analyze "X" by itself.
What happened at the end of X?
The conversations about porn and the freeing power of open sexuality are eventually buried under the film's mayhem, but the ideas are at least presented. "X" explodes into violence with Pearl and Howard eventually stalking and killing all the main characters, with Maxine and Pearl left as the only two standing. Pearl, thanks to a shotgun blast, finds herself splayed on a porch with a broken hip. Maxine backs a van over her head, killing her. The young, zesty sexuality erases repression once and for all.
Pearl is, of course, a tragic figure, so her death doesn't have quite the cathartic ring as it might in a typical slasher. One wants to see characters like Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger get their violent comeuppance, but with Pearl, audiences kind of hope she gets either the freedom she seeks after decades of repression, or at least a more compassionate death. One can see the symbolism of one Mia Goth killing the other, but a lot of the more interesting conversations about the vitality of sex and the importance of pursuing healthy sexual activity were left behind during the film's extended bloodbath. A lot of the more interesting sexual themes wouldn't be explored until the release of "Pearl."
In addition to the sexual politics of "X," one might also see it as a clarion call to accept and legitimize the adult film industry. The vast majority of the population consumes porn, it makes billions every year, and yet it is still seen as an "off to the side" medium. "X" also has subtle things to say about the 1970s porn industry which only tangentially tie to the film's ending, but are worth mentioning nonetheless.
What does the end of X mean?
Recall that the filmmaker characters in "X" are fleeing the big city and making porn in an amateur capacity. One might see their absquatulation as a comment on the dangers of the porn industry in general. The modern porn industry typically only looks after its biggest stars. For every high-profile porn studio that tests regularly, oversees the health of their actors, and pays them well, there are a hundred that don't give a damn. This often forces actors and actresses to perform in only vaguely overseen productions that could very well be dangerous and traumatizing. Ninja Thyberg's excellent 2022 film "Pleasure" explores the modern industry with a frank and unromantic eye.
In that light, "X" could serve as a cry to make the modern porn industry more fair, more caring, and more widely acknowledged. As long as we see sex as something shameful, and porn as something to remain wholly undiscussed, then its makers will have to wander out into repression country to shoot. A country that wants them dead. Everyone wants sex (asexuals notwithstanding), and we'd all be healthier — as would the modern porn industry — if we acknowledged that. A reminder: consume porn ethically. Buy it so the filmmakers get paid, and know where it came from. If you think the WGA getting stiffed out of royalties feels unfair, imagine how porn makers feel.
More generally, however, Ti West was probably making a film about the pluck and chutzpah of low-budget filmmaking in general. Porn is a handy analog, but surely guerilla filmmakers face similar creative challenges, having to accept whatever strange, remote locales they could manage to book, rather than building elaborate sets that matched their pure vision, or whatever.
What has Ti West said about the ending?
In an interview with GQ in September of 2022, West laid out the themes of both "Pearl" and "X" pretty clearly. He noted that the characters in "X" were indeed an analog not just for indie filmmakers, but for any hardworking artists who bust their asses to produce something, anything worthwhile. He is familiar with the existential crises often faced by filmmakers who will occasionally ask if doing all the hard work is worth it. He said:
"Existential things are just relatable to everybody. I'm also very charmed by people who try to do things that are very difficult with high failure rates. Most people grow up wanting to be a director or be an actor, or be a musician, and, you know, I want to applaud your dreams here. But like, maybe there's something more realistic you can do. And that's always a bummer when people don't believe in you that way. But it's also because the bullseye is so narrow. Almost nobody does it. It's so much more likely that you will not succeed at doing that. It's such a lonely road."
The character of Pearl is the living embodiment of a dream deferred, and West addressed that too, saying:
"[I]t brings up all these other existential issues like, Am I good enough? Am I wanted if people don't want me? Hopefully, people don't have [her] exact story, but everyone has a version of Pearl's story, of, 'I wish my life were a little bit different.'"
The follow-up to "X" and "Pearl" will be called "MaXXXine," and will follow the younger Mia Goth character from the first film into the malaise of the 1980s porn industry. The film has completed shooting, but there is no release date yet.