X: The New Age Sadomasochistic Slasher Film

Linda Williams presents a theory in her essay, Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess, that identifies three different body genres. Those body genres include melodramas, pornography, and horror, and each corresponds with first masochism, then sadism, and lastly, sadomasochism. Williams believes that the connection between these three genres is the victimization of women and the catering of each genre to a specific audience: pornography is for the male viewer, horror for the adolescent boy viewer, and melodramas are for the women. Although this idea has rung true in many circumstances, Ti West’s slasher film, X (2022), has introduced a hybridized horrorpornography that has the potential to breed a new sub-section of the body genre. X (2022) challenges the distinction between horror and pornography by presenting a platform that normalizes sexual desires for all parties and ages and supports the idea that masochism, sadism, sadomasochism, and voyeurism can exist simultaneously.

Ti West presents many methods when blending both the body genre of horror and the body genre of pornography. One way he achieves that is through the use of bodily fluid and phallic symbols. In both pornography and horror films, the presence of human fluids serves as a measurement of the effectiveness of the film in that genre. West achieves this by using both an excess of blood and semen to serve as a bridge between the two genres. In addition to the bodily fluids, there is also a connection between the phallic symbol and the weapons used to kill in this film (a knife, ax, and pitchfork). These techniques help bleed the two genres together quite effectively. We see this in action during the first killing scene of the film. A sexually frustrated elderly woman, named Pearl, begins to pursue the cinematographer of the pornography shoot, played by Owen Campbell. After he rejects her invitation for sex, she stabs him repeatedly with a knife as her weapon. There is gushing of blood and moaning. This scene feels and plays out like a sexual act, but instead of a man, Pearl, plays the dominant figure. Pearl, by killing, is receiving

a sexual release from the penetrative nature of the murder. It is critical to note that this would not be the case if she used a gun as her weapon as her husband does later on in the film. Similarly,

this plays into the idea of sadomasochism that Williams connected to the horror genre. In classic horror films, the final survivor usually kills the killer with a phallic weapon, or as Williams writes it, the killer is “often symbolically castrated by an 'androgynous' 'final girl' ” (Williams 7). West takes this in a new direction by “symbolically castrat[ing]” (Williams 7) the male viewer from the point of the first killing. West's new approach creates an unexplored subgenre where the female viewer holds the dominant power. Generally, West utilizes this technique of phallic imagery and bodily fluids as a bridge between the body genres of horror and pornography in numerous ways.

Besides Ti West’s manipulation of this new genre through the written narrative, he also does it through the mise-en-scene. In X (2022), windows serve as framing and representation of voyeurism in the human psyche. The picture has a recurring theme of Pearl in the windows. The first time this shot appears in the film, Pearl stares down from a window above at Maxine, played by Mia Goth. The next time, she looks through the barn window which takes place during the

shooting of the adult film. West’s utilization of this particular shot composition is significant because it challenges the idea that pornography and horror are attached to sexual pleasure through the “sadistic male gaze” (Williams 6). Naturally, pornography and voyeurism are connected, but Williams talks about how the voyeuristic act lies within this male gaze. X (2022), by presenting a female voyeur, practically eliminates the male gaze in the context of this film, bringing back the idea that voyeurism, sadism, masochism, and sadomasochism are independent of each other. These sexual forces and desires work together to create the new body genre of the

horror pornography that West depicts through X (2022).

Williams views sexual dominance, in her essay, primarily through the male gaze, but many of the discussions follow sexually active adults, young adults, and teenagers. By doing this, she has ultimately eliminated the existence of sexually active elderly. X (2022) highlights

that sexually active elderly exist, additionally, it emphasizes the stigma surrounding it. “In the media ‘ aging’ and ‘sexuality’ are portrayed and understood as unrelated concepts” (Gerwitz-Mayden et. al 150), but West attempts to illustrate these concepts in his film as related. Before noting the destigmatizing of ageism and sex in this film, it is essential to look at how the production company that produced this film, A24, has a theme of naked elderly in their horror

movies. In both of Ari Aster’s films Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019), he uses the nudity of the elderly to scare people. This negative association between the elderly and nudity also exists in Ti West’s film. Employing the nudity of the young as a sexual factor while using

the nudity of the old as a fear factor is ultimately an ageist and toxic look at sexuality and aging adults. Although this stigma is still mildly present in X (2022), West uses many other techniques

to give the vicious and sexually starved, elderly many redeemable traits. He presents the motivation for killing, by the married elderly couple, as a social act of challenging societal norms. The audience feels a need to root for the elderly while still hoping for the prosperity of the protagonist. The best way West achieves this is through the self-identity of Pearl (which will be discussed later in the essay) but also by having a double standard presented by the supposedly

sex-positive sex worker. Brittany Snow’s character has two lines in the film that serve as an oxymoron for the idea of sexual freedom she is supposed to be presenting. First, she says, “everybody likes sex” (X) and soon after she says, “One day we’re gonna be too old to fuck” (X).

These lines imply that everyone wants sex, but not everyone should be allowed to partake in it. In creating redeemable villains and protagonists who preach the dominant ideology, Ti West has created a paradoxical concept. This concept forces viewers to look into their own ideals and stigmas surrounding aging and sex. Again, West challenges and reforms the ideas built into the body genre by presenting a film where sexuality and aging can be synonymous. He introduces a platform where aging men and women can connect with sexuality equally as much as the young do.

Although many of West’s techniques throughout his film challenge the ideas presented in William’s essay, the hybrid nature of this new body genre still resonates with some of the concepts Williams discussed. The film highlights the independence of both genres through the editing style by using techniques such as cross-cutting and split-screen. For example, during the scene where Maxine goes into the main house and has lemonade with Pearl. This scene is

cross-cut with a scene in the pornography where Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) offers Jackson Hole (Kid Cudi) lemonade. In addition to cross-cutting, split screening is seen during the singing scene. On the left side of the screen is Bobby-Lynne and Jackson Hole singing. On the right side of the screen, we see Pearl. By cross-cutting and split screening in this film, West recognizes that both the horror and pornography genres can exist independently from each other along with working with each other, enforcing some of the ideas presented in Williams's essay, particularly the one that addresses women as the “female victim” (Williams 8). When the split-screen or crosscutting is present, it separates the hybridized genre. By doing this, it causes the individual genres to revert to their original toxic nature. It is in this way that West both accepts and rebuttals the ideas presented by Williams, and why hybridizing the two genres creates a new genre that does not follow the usual themes and patterns.

Alongside the editing techniques, one stylistic technique that West utilized in his film was the red wash over the killers. The red wash of light over both Pearl and her husband only happens twice in the whole film. The first time the red light is introduced is after Pearl kills the cinematographer. The second time is after Pearl and her husband kill Lorraine, played by Jenna Ortega. The overlying factor between these two instances lies in the sexual liberation that is experienced prior. In the first instance, Pearl kills, in a rather penetrative way, allowing a sexual release. After the killing, she has an intimate moment where she dances by herself. At this moment the red tint is used, serving as a representation of both lust and murder. The second

instance takes place after Pearl and her husband have sex for the first time in a while. Their sexual liberation in addition to the murder of Lorraine is why the red hue is cast. This plays deeply into the ideas that Williams presents about horror specifically. Because “violence related to sexual difference is the problem, more violence related to sexual difference is also the solution” (Williams 9,10). Williams’s idea seems to fit quite well in the confines of this film, however, that isn’t necessarily the case. In her argument, she is talking about violence against women by men, in the ultimate victimization of women. In West’s film, he presents the “violence related to sexual difference” (Williams 9) through the victim’s, or the sexually active elderly’s,

lens. Once again, West makes points in his film that suggest that independently the horror genre follows the conventions of William’s essay, but paired with the pornographic genre it presents a platform to challenge socially dominant ideologies.

Besides the formal techniques West uses in the film, he also utilizes thematic elements to introduce the third body genre of melodrama, to this picture. The theme and motif of reflection (both the physical reflection and psychological) will find themselves taking a a stake in Pearl’s character. This technique breaks the idea of the male gaze, as Pearl is the primary voyeur in this film. She is often found staring at her reflection, dealing with her emotional reflection, and seeing Maxine as a reflection of herself. West frames Pearl in mirrors more often than he frames her in windows presenting an idea that she views herself more than she views others. This connects to the idea of self-image and ultimately to the masochistic nature of melodrama. When a woman, particularly an aging woman, watches Pearl’s internal turmoil they by association partake in a masochistic act. When they project themselves into Pearl’s position they are

experiencing an emotional release or catharsis, enjoying the pain in that release. Another instance of Pearl’s reflection motif is in her connection with Maxine. In the film, there is a scene where a nude Pearl lays next to Maxine, reminiscing, and longing for her youth. West pushes this idea home by having Pearl be played by Mia Goth (Maxine) in prosthetic makeup. This technique highlights the fear of deterioration and the loss of your youth, referencing the melodramatic nature of that scene. Lastly, West wrote a song break into the film, where Brittany Snow and Kid Cudi’s characters perform, “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. This song is the last element of X (2022) that holds a connection to reflection. As the lyrics “and I saw my reflection in the snowcovered hills” (Fleetwood Mac 0:24-0:29) are sung the scene is split with the performers on one half and Pearl on the other. During the song, Pearl is observing herself in the mirror after her husband tells her that he cannot have sex because he has a bad heart. These three techniques utilized by West tie in the final body genre and creates a masochistic reaction from older women who are afraid of losing their sexuality.

In William’s essay, she writes about the “given limits of patriarchal constraints” (Williams 8) that women are ultimately given because of the dominant ideology. Williams also discusses the dichotomy of the “sexually passive, ‘good’ girl” (Williams 8) and the “sexually active, ‘bad’ girl”. The “good girl” and “bad girl” distinction based on sexual deviancy holds a stake in West’s film by connecting this idea to the dominance of western Christianity. Throughout the entirety of X (2022), there is a reoccurring televised sermon that discusses the sexual promiscuity of the youth. In Pearl’s house, the TV is playing this program. The “good girl” and “bad girl” identities fighting in this film are part of what challenges the classic ideals and patterns that William discusses in her essay. If the film was to finish with every member of the pornographic film crew dying then this film could fit within the confines of Williams’s theories, however, this is not the case. Because Maxine lives at the end, it shows that the dominant Christian ideology doesn’t always prove to be the right answer. Additionally, the pastor preaching on the TV discusses his connection to the cause, as Maxine is his daughter, who he lost to the sinful side. This twist terminates the presense of the dominant ideology and perpetuates the contemporary idea that promiscuous girls do not need to be punished for practicing and embracing their sexuality.

In many horror films, marginalized, minority groups, and women are the first to be killed off, this is part of why X (2022) is a fresh interpretation of the horror film. The first three that are killed in this film are the men. The first to be killed is a white man in a monogamous relationship, then a white man in an open relationship, and lastly a single black man who is openly sexual. Part of why this is so impactful is because the first victim harbors conservative behavior. This is an openly new concept, especially in a horror film, one that challenges Williams’s theories. When men are the primary victims of the film, it opens up the opportunity for women to experience sadistic feelings as a man would. The oppression and overt sexualization has weighed down women for some time, so when West presents a platform where women can experience sadism in the same way a man would, it challenges what Williams writes.

Ti West’s film X (2022) is more than just a slasher film. West presents a new hybridized genre that challenges many of the conventions and theories Linda Williams presents in her essay. This film presents a platform that challenges many dominant ideologies, such as sexual promiscuity in girls, sexuality in aging adults, and sex and religion. Overall this film shares a new hybridized genre of, horror-pornography, with elements of melodrama. This new genre hybrid, presented by Ti West, creates an opportunity to explore sexuality for all people and to create a platform where sadism, masochism, sadomasochism, and voyeurism can work both independently and together.

Works Cited

Fleetwood Mac. Landslide, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4M53xndqiU.

West , Ti, director. X. 2022.

Williams, Linda. “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess.” Film Quarterly, vol. 44, no.

4, 1991, pp. 2–13, https://doi.org/10.2307/1212758. Accessed 16 Apr. 2022.

Gewirtz-Meydan, A., Hafford-Letchfield, T., Benyamini, Y., Phelan, A., Jackson, J.,

Ayalon, L. (2018). Ageism and Sexuality. In: Ayalon, L., Tesch-Römer, C. (eds)

Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 19.

Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_10

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