WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X, now in theaters.
Horror’s reputation with sex has not always been the best. Slasher films in particular garner a negative reputation in regard to how sexual characters are punished for “sinful” behavior, even when some filmmakers, like John Carpenter, claim that’s not their intent. That being said, strides have been made to either make a commentary on these tropes, or more contemporary films have attempted to move in a new direction, and this is best seen in the A24 film X.
X is about a group of adult entertainers planning to make a pornography film, with most of the characters having experience in this line of work, while the cinematographer (Owen Campbell) and his girlfriend, Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), are new to it. During filming, the group is at odds with the elderly couple who own the barn and house they use for the set, thus leading to a bloodbath. A horror film about adult entertainment could easily fall into the trap of using sex for shock factor. There is very little holding a premise like this back, and X does indulge in its liberties and story, showcasing the production of several sex scenes. However, these scenes are not meant to shock, and they do not depict the characters in a negative light.
In fact, later in the film, there is a scene where Lorraine asks the actors about how being adult entertainers impacts their relationships. Maxine (Mia Goth) takes a more defensive stance initially because Lorraine’s behavior throughout X seems to put her above the others just because of what their job is; however, as the conversation proceeds, the actors take the time to explain to Lorraine how there is nothing wrong with what they’re doing.
Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) gives the best look into the nuances of this profession, mentioning how her relationship with Jackson (Kid Cudi) is strong enough to understand the differences between what’s personal and what’s professional. Along with that, she explains how embracing sexuality and using femininity should not be things that make one lesser than the rest of society, and how disregarding these societal expectations can be liberating.
Bobby-Lynne is the best example of how X tackles sex and horror. It would be easy to set up Bobby-Lynne as the promiscuous woman who must be punished, a trope made fun of in films like The Cabin in the Woods. This archetype has roots in films such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Cabin Fever and more, where the characters engaging in sexual activities are killed or punished shortly after. While Bobby-Lynne, as well as most of the cast, are killed at some point, her death does not feel like a punishment for her behavior, and the audience is supposed to see her as more than the “bombshell” archetype who is meant to be disposed of.
This carries over to the other adult entertainers, as they are all fleshed out characters who are more than archetypes meant to be killed off for their “sins.” While most of them are killed off by the couple whose motives are related to sexuality, X manages to navigate this in a way where the main characters are not seen by audiences as people who should be punished because of sex.
On top of that, no one is safe in X, with the first person to be killed being the cinematographer after he storms away from the group. He leaves because he is not supportive of Lorraine wanting to explore her sexuality in the adult film, despite claiming he understood how what is on film differs from what happens in reality. For him, sexual liberation is fine, as long as his girlfriend does not partake in it, highlighting his hypocrisy. It’s after this that he is killed off.
While he may not be virginal, he is the “prude” of the group — the one who condemns their sexual behavior once it no longer serves him, and he is punished for that. In fact, if he didn’t storm off, most of what happened could have been avoided, as a majority of these characters are either killed off or kidnaped because they go off to find him.
There is also the subversion of the “final girl” trope in X, with Lorraine being set up well for the role. A final girl, a term coined in the book Men, Women and Chainsaws, is often the last woman standing in a horror movie. As time has gone on, many associate the final girl with being the more virginal character, as pointed out in Scream, where Randy claims if one has sex or uses drugs, they will die; however, the final girl is above this. That is no longer the case, as seen in X.
While Lorraine does go through with the adult film, she is the more virginal character, and it would have been easy for X to say she was corrupted by this “promiscuous” group and deserves a second chance because she’s seen the error of her ways. In fact, Lorraine even makes this claim, blaming their “sinful” ways for why they are in this situation; however, after she abandons Maxine, she is killed off — she is punished for her awful behavior. Meanwhile, Maxine, who takes pride in her work and sexuality, is the last woman standing — she is the final girl.
Horror’s relationship with sex and gender is complicated to say the least. While horror movies, in this case, slashers, often feature female leads, explore trauma to varying extents and make a commentary on society, they also are subject to negative depictions of sexuality. However, X pulls away from this, following in the footsteps of films like Cam, It Follows and Fear Street, all of which re-examine how horror handles sexuality.
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