Film

X

Name: X
Genre: Horror
Released: 2022
Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson

Slasher
Very dark

A 1979-set slasher about a film crew making adult content in rural Texas, interrupted by deadly hosts. X is a gleeful, energetic throwback that loves the logistics of horror as much as the scares—smart about how movies get made, funnier than you'd expect, and genuinely tense. Made for people who find craft in carnage.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love slow-burn slashers that build dread through period detail, sharp performances and a wicked streak of satire about ambition and vanity.

Skip it if you want a fast, gore-forward splatter film, since this takes its time before the carnage and its sex scenes are frank enough to make some viewers squirm.

What it asks of you: Expect a patient, deliberate build, a long stretch of setup, then a sharp swerve into bloody chaos, across 106 minutes that reward close attention.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Scream1996

The template for horror that knows what it is. Meta-commentary woven into genuine scares, a killer with personality, and a cast you actually care about watching survive. Infinitely quotable.

But The self-awareness can feel dated now, and if you've seen it already, revisiting it feels obligatory rather than revelatory.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre1974

The granddaddy of backwoods slashers. Raw, relentless, and made on almost nothing—the ancestor of everything X is doing, but cruder and more primal. Essential viewing for the form.

But It's deliberately ugly and hard to watch. The pacing is slow, and the gore is implied rather than shown, which somehow makes it worse.

The Cabin in the Woods2012

Another meta-horror that deconstructs genre tropes while still delivering real scares. Cleverly constructed, genuinely inventive, and it respects the intelligence of people who love horror.

But The twist, while clever, can feel more puzzle-box than emotionally devastating. It's fun but sometimes feels intellectual rather than felt.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from X

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Both films are love letters to cinema itself, using their genres to examine what happens when people make art under pressure, and what gets sacrificed for the final product.

A backstage musical about filmmaking in Hollywood's early days. Like X, it's obsessed with the mechanics and politics of movie-making—who controls the narrative, who gets credit, how art and commerce collide. But it's pure joy instead of pure terror.

But If you don't love classic musicals, the lengthy production numbers will feel indulgent. The gender politics are very 1952, which can sting now.

Hostel2006

Transgressive, uncomfortable horror about tourists in danger abroad. Elia Roth makes you complicit in watching cruelty, and the film doesn't let you off the hook for enjoying the spectacle.

But The torture-porn elements are relentless and gratuitous. If you're watching for plot coherence, you'll be disappointed; the suffering is the point.

Ready or Not2019

A bride hunted by her in-laws on their wedding night. Smart, darkly funny, and genuinely tense—it knows exactly what movie it is and leans into the absurdity without losing stakes.

But The social satire about wealth can feel thin, and the film sometimes prioritizes quips over character development.

Hereditary2018

Ari Aster's debut is meticulous, disturbing horror about family trauma and dread. Toni Collette is extraordinary, and the film builds to a finale that feels genuinely apocalyptic.

But It's slow, dense, and emotionally punishing. The scares are rare; it's mostly the creeping sense that something terrible is inevitable. Not fun—it's a grief film disguised as a horror film.

Final Destination2000

Pure concept: teenagers cheat Death, and Death finds creative, Rube Goldberg ways to kill them. It's inventive, darkly funny, and understands that anticipation is scarier than gore.

But The characters are thin, and the plot doesn't much matter. You're here for set-piece deaths, and if that doesn't appeal to you, the film has very little else to offer.

The Invisible Man2020

A woman terrorized by an invisible ex. Leigh Whannell uses negative space and sound design to create genuine dread, and the film becomes a sharp allegory about gaslighting and invisible abuse.

But The social commentary can feel heavy-handed, and the third act relies on a few convenient plot turns that undermine the earlier tension.

Tremors1990

Giant underground worms terrorize a small town. It's funny, clever, and approaches horror as problem-solving. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward make you love their banter, and the creature effects hold up.

But It veers closer to action-adventure than pure horror. If you're looking for scares, you'll find laughs instead—though that's kind of the point.

Baise-moi2000

Both films are about the act of filming itself—about desire, control, and the camera's gaze. Both make you aware you're watching something you shouldn't, and ask what that means.

A French transgressive film about two women on a violent crime spree. Graphic and confrontational, it asks uncomfortable questions about complicity and spectacle—and who gets to look at what, and why.

But It contains explicit sexual content and extreme violence. It's deliberately provocative in ways that feel less playful than X—there is no wink. Many will find it exploitation, and have good reasons to.