X

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
X Movie Poster

Common Sense says

age 17+

Grindhouse-style exploration of aging, sex, and gore.

R 2022 105 minutes
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Parents say

age 18+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 16+

Based on 23 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that X is a horror movie set in 1979 about people making an adult film in a remote farmhouse who end up being stalked by the elderly couple that owns the place. Ultra-gory and explicit, it's also funny, clever, and effective, touching on themes of sexuality, repression, and aging in unique ways. There are multiple instances of partial nudity (breasts, bottoms, slightly obscured penis), a fully naked skinny-dipping woman seen in a long shot, and several sex scenes, with thrusting, moaning, and more. Violence is very graphic, with lots of blood (spurting, spraying, gurgling, oozing), bloody carnage, gruesome murders, torn flesh, broken bones, eyes stabbed, etc., as well as guns and shooting. Strong language includes "f--k," "t-ts," "c--k," "ass," "d--k," "bitch," and more. A main character uses cocaine without consequences, and there's social drinking and smoking.

Community Reviews

ContentFlag
ContentFlag Adult
July 6, 2022
age 18+

Rated 18 (strong bloody violence, sex).

MAIN CONTENT ISSUES - There are several scenes of strong bloody violence, sometimes featuring gory injury detail. These include a man being stabbed in the neck multiple times, a man being stabbed through the eye, a man being shot in the chest, a woman having her fingers battered with the butt of a shotgun, a woman being shot in the face with gory aftermath detail, and a woman having her head crushed by a vehicle causing a big spurt of blood and gore. Some of these sequences are quite sustained, and linger on injury detail. There are also multiple prolonged sex scenes, featuring heavy thrusting and sexual moaning, explicit sexual dialogue and references, as well as graphic breast and buttock nudity. One moment also shows a woman wiping some semen from her hip. These sexual scenes primarily take place in the context of the characters filming a pornographic film, although no actual penetration is shown and the sex is only simulated. | OTHER ISSUES - There is strong threat and suspense throughout, including a sustained sequence of sexualized threat where a woman is inappropriately touched and caressed by another woman whilst sleeping. There are also some scenes of drug use where a woman snorts cocaine. Multiple uses of strong language ("f*ck"), as well as milder terms ("c*ck", "b*tch", "wh*re", "p*ssy", "d*ck", "sh*t", etc). | Rated "18" - Suitable only for persons aged 18 years and over. Contains content recommended for viewing by adults only.
3 people found this helpful.
Layla W.
Layla W. Adult
January 1, 2023
age 18+

Don’t watch if under 18

It’s a good movie, but idk why people under 18 watch it and complain when it literally says it’s 18+, so for people under 18 who wanna watch it, pls wait till ur 18 first
1 person found this helpful.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In X, it's 1979 in Houston, Texas. Wayne (Martin Henderson), who runs a burlesque club, climbs into a van with two of his sex workers, his girlfriend Maxine (Mia Goth), and Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow). Also along for the ride are Bobby-Lynne's boyfriend, sex worker Jackson (Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi), filmmaker RJ (Owen Campbell), and sound recordist/RJ's girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega). Their destination is a remote house on a ranch owned by an odd older couple. There, the team hopes to film an adult-oriented movie, The Farmer's Daughters, and make a fortune in the burgeoning home video market. The shoot begins well, but then one of the home's owners starts to exhibit extra-creepy vibes, leering at the youngsters. Over dinner and beers, Lorraine decides to be in the movie as well. A distraught RJ storms off into the night, thus setting off a shocking cycle of violence and gore.

Is It Any Good?

More than just a stylish grindhouse throwback, this gorefest explores sex and violence in fresh ways. It takes into account the oft-ignored subject of aging bodies and balances things with moments of wry humor. It's no surprise that the confident direction is the work of Ti West, whose The House of the Devil, which has a similar throwback style, has already become a horror classic and whose other genre works deserve the same fate. The look and feel of X comes from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre textbook, and West understands it inside and out -- not only its shock and gore, but also its sense of place and unexpected comic touches. But he uses it to create his own thing, rather than a slavish copy.

For example, in many traditional horror movies, sex is equated with death -- but in X, sex is treated as natural and freeing. Even though the actors are creating "smut," they seem in control of their bodies ... that is, until the attacks start coming. Those are fueled partly by faith-based righteousness and partly by jealousy of youth and beauty. It's a deadly combination, and certainly West could have gone deeper with it, but instead he focuses on sheer sensation. Some shots, like the click of a basement light switch, a casual swim in a pond (accompanied by a hungry gator), and a protruding nail, create giddy squeals that are practically old-fashioned. The combination of shock, titillation, and laughs may seem a bit messy, but that may be precisely what X is really all about.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about X's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How is sex depicted? In the story, how is filmed sex different from "real" sex?

  • How are drugs depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why is that important?

  • Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?

  • How does the movie touch upon themes of repression and liberation? Of aging and desire?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 18, 2022
  • On DVD or streaming: April 14, 2022
  • Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow
  • Director: Ti West
  • Studio: A24
  • Genre: Horror
  • Run time: 105 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: strong bloody violence and gore, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and language
  • Last updated: March 24, 2023

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