It’s impossible to talk about “X” without mentioning its strong tribute to 1970s American New Cinema. The opening scene shows a van of young people driving down a country road, with grainy sunlight, dry landscapes, and a constant sense of unease. It feels so much like Tobe Hooper’s classic that it almost recreates it perfectly. Horror fans will recognize and appreciate this familiar visual style.

But this film is more than just a tribute. It also acts as a counter-narrative, taking a different approach from classic horror. For example, in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Jack Nicholson smashes a door with an axe. In “X,” the trapped woman changes the usual dynamic by breaking down the door from the inside with an axe.

The film also cleverly turns the familiar “Final Girl” trope on its head, in which the innocent woman survives to the end. Think of movies like The Cabin in the Woods.

The Transformation of the Frame: A Narrative of Film History Itself

One of the most memorable parts of “X” is its opening shot. When the sheriff arrives at the scene of the tragedy—a single house—the camera shows the outside from inside, making the image almost square, like the standard aspect ratio of old films. It gives it a vintage feel.

As the camera slowly moves back, you realize the square frame is actually the view through a doorframe. When the camera moves outside, the view widens and becomes a modern widescreen format.

This technique is both a fun way to play with the frame using old-school methods and a way to show how film aspect ratios have changed over time. The film moves from standard size to widescreen, from old movies to new ones. By adding scenes of a porn film shot on a 16mm camera, the story becomes a “movie within a movie.”

The changing aspect ratios also connect to the film’s central themes: dream versus reality and youth versus old age. Maxine, the young actress, lives in the dream world of movies, while Pearl, the older woman, faces the reality of aging. The film shows their differences through these visual choices.

Aging and Sexual Desire—The Most Heartbreaking Fear in This World (Spoilers Ahead)

What makes this film different from other slasher movies is how directly it deals with aging and sexual desire. Classic killers like Jason or Michael Myers are mysterious, but here, the killers—Howard and Pearl—are an elderly couple with clear personalities. We might even feel some sympathy for them.

Pearl watches the young people filming a porn scene through her window, her eyes full of envy, jealousy, and longing. Later, she tries to seduce her husband, Howard, but his weak heart stops him from responding. His words are heartbreaking: “It’s not that I don’t want to… it’s my heart…”

Pearl has lost her youth and her body is aging, but her desire remains strong. She feels jealous of the young people who have what she lost. The way these feelings turn into violence is both unfortunate and very human.

One of the most powerful scenes is when the elderly couple has sex after committing several murders. After seeing the young lovers’ passion earlier, this act by the older couple feels more painful than erotic. This harsh contrast may be the film’s most outstanding achievement.

A meta-horror woven from love for cinema, laying groundwork for the series

Even though “X” is a slasher horror, it also shows the joy of making movies. In one scene, an actor pumps gas at a station, and the camera framing changes the meaning of the moment. The film also shows how the director and crew slowly become fascinated by the magic of cinema, making it an actual “film about film.”

Director Tye West created this layered structure. He is known for “mumblegore,” a genre that grew out of the 2000s mumblecore movement, and is skilled at telling strange, violent stories in small settings. His style—honoring classic films while making something new, as seen in The Innkeepers and In the Valley of Violence—shows up clearly in “X.”

This film is West’s first directing project in six years and is the start of A24’s first series. The final scene, where the elderly Pearl dances in a trance, hints at the sequel, Pearl. Pearl is a prequel about Pearl’s youth. This unusual structure, showing the young life of an older killer, is similar to what was done in Joker.

Pearl is driven to murder by her jealousy of Maxine and her sadness about growing old. But looking deeper, aging may not be the only reason for her actions. Pearl reveals the killer’s origins, while the final film, Maxine, shows what happens after Maxine survives. The trilogy explores a love for cinema and the universal themes of youth, age, life, and death in many layers. It is the new wave of horror that West is creating.

Summary: A slow-burning terror exploring the universal theme of aging

If you watch “X” expecting only splatter horror, you might be disappointed. There is gore, but it is not extreme; some people even say the cow carcass at the start is the most disturbing part. Also, the first hour, which shows porn shoots and the tense relationship of the elderly couple, may feel slow to some viewers. The bloody scenes that horror fans expect take a while to appear.

Still, ‘X’ is both an old and new kind of horror film. It mixes a strong love for 70s horror with modern themes like aging and sexual desire. The film features A24’s stylish visuals and Tye West’s careful direction, giving it more depth than a typical slasher movie.

The film shows the unavoidable reality of aging, the longing for lost youth, and the struggle between lasting desire and a weakening body. This kind of fear is something everyone will face. After the violence, what remains is a feeling of loneliness and sadness. The story is cruel, but also profoundly moving. This mix of emotions might be the film’s most potent effect.

It is a bold and ambitious film worth watching for fans of classic horror, A24 movies, or anyone interested in reflecting on aging.