Netflix Horror Thriller Launches Career Of Modern Scream Queen

X gets its name from the now-defunct X rating which was provided to films deemed unsuitable for audiences under age 16, even with the promise of adult supervision. As a result of this rating, many producers of pornographic content were able to put their films in theaters under the X distinction, leaving modern audiences to associate the rating primarily with material of this kind. This rating system ties back to the plot of the film as the lead character, Mia Goth’s Maxine, is a young aspiring adult film actress, who becomes caught in a murderous plot.

The film was written and directed by Ti West and produced by A24. Mia Goth takes on two roles in the film–playing Maxine and the mentally unstable elderly woman Pearl, who takes center stage in the prequel film which shares her name. Apparently Ti West managed to rapidly write the prequel script during a mandatory two-week quarantine period which the cast and crew needed to endure before beginning production in New Zealand, as part of the country’s ongoing protocol to fight the spread of COVID-19.

A24 execs responded positively to the hastily-written Pearl script, and allowed Ti West and Mia Goth to stay in the country for a few extra weeks to shoot both films concurrently.

In addition to Goth, X also contains performances from Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, and acclaimed hip hop artist Kid Cudi, who is credited under his government name Scott Mescudi.

Mia Goth is slated to reprise her role as Maxine once again in an upcoming sequel titled Maxxxine, proving that her collaborative relationship with West has served as a basis for non-stop creativity. Though X and Pearl were both made on a shoestring budget, they managed to rake in impressive returns at the box office and impress critics, resulting in the increased star-power of just about everyone involved in either project. Maxxxine is expected to bring in heavy-hitters including Kevin Bacon, singer Halsey, and Better Call Saul‘s Giancarlo Esposito.

In addition to starring in the upcoming sequel, Mia Goth has also been tapped to lead the upcoming Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein film, alongside Christoph Waltz and Euphoria‘s Jacob Elordi. X currently holds a staggering 94 percent certified fresh score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. If you haven’t yet had the privilege of seeing the film which launched Mia Goth’s career as a certified scream queen to the next level, be sure to stream X on Netflix today.