Summer can be unsettling or scary as hell, and horror is the best genre to capture that fact. And in the case of slashers, many have taken place during summer or at least have a summerlike atmosphere. Watching people be terrified, during what people consider to be a fun time of year, is a lot of fun to me. Instead of going with the obvious like the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) or the 2003 remake, I’ve decided to pull from the 2020s. And with the theatrical release of Maxxxine (2024), why not shuffle back to X (2022)? As it’s the first film in the now complete trilogy.
X (2022) is a slasher set in the 1970s and focuses on budding porn stars and their small crew who are looking to make a hit pornographic film. Little do they realize that the elderly couple that allow them to stay on their Texas farmland are killers. And instead of being hunted by a masked killer, senior citizens are the ones to fear. It’s a nice change of pace
Howard
Imagine aiding your spouse throughout your marriage in keeping people as sex slaves and helping her kill people or doing it outright—only to die of a heart attack when you’re startled by your victim’s death rattle. It’s a foreshadowed death (much like every other death), but it’s a basic heart attack. Instead of dying in a violent way that he inflicted upon other characters.
Wayne
Lower on the tier is where Wayne (Martin Henderson)’s death falls because of its suddenness and overall meh nature. Instead of being a lecherous creep, much like many middle-aged men in his role would be, he’s just an ambitious producer. Not to mention helpful when Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) later requests his help in finding RJ. Stepping on a nail in an old as hell barn is one thing. But being stabbed in the eye with a pitchfork by a deranged old woman is another. It’s a quick death for him and not as inventive as it could have been.
Jackson
Having the porn stars in this film come across like regular people is a huge part of why the film works. Jackson (Scott Mescudi) might not be the best character in the film, but he still deserved a more interesting send off. Especially considering he was the only Black character and actually stuck his neck out for a stranger, only to be murdered by way of a shotgun to the chest. And it was off-screen, which makes it even more lackluster than it already is. Thus landing it incredibly low on the list.
Bobby-Lynne
Normally, a character like Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) wouldn’t be likable and would be viewed as worthy of a grisly end. Of course, the polar opposite is the case in X. Trying to help Pearl is what ends up killing her. After being talked to very rudely by Pearl and responding justifiably, she ends up being pushed into the lake and is eaten by an alligator. It’s a horrific way to go out and not deserved in the slightest. Certainly not when she was actually trying to help who she thought was a sick old woman.
Pearl
There’s much more to Pearl than this first film in the trilogy reveals. Of course, it’s obvious that her being murderous isn’t a new concept. The prequel Pearl (2022) reveals how she became who she is. Throughout the film, she envies the other characters’ youthfulness and ability to fulfill their desires. Her sensitive hip is what ends up sealing her fate at the end of the film. When Pearl tries to shoot Maxine (Mia Goth), the kickback sends her flying and she breaks her hip. And after being incredibly slut shamey to Maxine once more, Maxine runs over her head with the pickup truck. Having your head crushed by a tire is gory and incredibly gruesome to me.
Lorraine
It’s no joke when I say that Lorraine gets it the worst as far as the main group goes. She gets trapped in a disgusting cellar where there’s a corpse, has her fingers broken, and it certainly doesn’t end well for her. Lorraine’s death comes as a huge surprise because Jenna Ortega is typically who people view as a final girl. So when she narrowly escapes the deranged farmhouse, only to be shot, it’s a shock. Her death is primarily gruesome because of the suddenness and how she was shot in the face. And we see a brief glimpse of the aftermath.
RJ
Out of all the characters in the film, RJ (Owen Campbell) is the least interesting of the bunch. Yet, he gets one of the most brutal deaths in the film. After realizing he can’t handle his girlfriend experimenting with porn, he attempts to abandon the group (a relatively shitty move) and gets killed violently by Pearl (Mia Goth) when he rejects her advances. Being stabbed a few times is rough, but being stabbed a little over 20 until your head is severed from your body is peak gruesome.
