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92-562: MaXXXine is a 2024 American psychological horror film written, directed, produced, and edited by Ti West . It is the third installment in West's X film series following X and Pearl (both 2022), serving as a direct sequel to the former. Mia Goth reprises her X role as Maxine Minx, starring alongside Elizabeth Debicki , Moses Sumney , Michelle Monaghan , Bobby Cannavale , Halsey , Lily Collins , Giancarlo Esposito , and Kevin Bacon . In

184-592: A Christian Church , or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers and religious material, such as set formulae, gestures , symbols , sacred images , sacramentals , etc. Certain Christian theologians have held that the wearing of a headcovering by Christian females confers protection against fallen angels , which they teach are referenced in 1 Corinthians 11:3–10 . The exorcist often invokes God , Jesus or several different angels and archangels to intervene with

276-410: A weighted average , assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale (up from Pearl 's "B-"), while those polled by PostTrak gave the film a 76% positive score, with 59% saying they would definitely recommend it. MaXXXine was originally developed as

368-402: A biographical film about her. Returning to reality, she shoots her father, telling him he gave her what she needed – divine intervention . A month later, Maxine continues her work on The Puritan II , hoping her success will never end. In March 2022, West announced that he was working on the script for a third film in the X series, to be set chronologically after the events of X . The project

460-581: A character in a movie or show, the music exemplifies the emotion of the character, the viewer feels what the character feels, creating a synergy between character and viewer. The addition of music breathes more depth into emotional response that visual stimuli can not accomplish on its own. Music can subconsciously influence the viewer, further intertwining them emotionally with what they are watching forcing them to feel more deeply whatever emotion they are feeling from watching making it an important piece of psychological horror and its success in inciting emotions in

552-471: A corpse on set, for allegedly kicking him intentionally in the head and then taunting him about it. The suit also includes a wrongful termination claim against A24 and West. On September 13, 2022, a teaser trailer announcing a sequel to X , titled MaXXXine , was released shortly following the premiere of Pearl at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival . It featured the 1984 synth-pop song " Obsession " by Animotion . Scott Wampler of Fangoria

644-473: A demon resulting in harm to self or others. Therefore, practitioners regard exorcism as more of a cure than a punishment. The mainstream rituals usually take this into account, making sure that there is no violence to the possessed, only that they be tied down if there is potential for violence. Requested and performed exorcism began to decline in the United States by the 18th century and occurred rarely until

736-423: A demonic possession. Religious figures would have been presented with an individual and base their diagnosis of possession upon their own knowledge, which would be based on religious understandings. The occurrence of a possession, has similar characteristics of someone who is experiencing a mental illness. Characteristics such as an abrupt change in behaviour and demeanor, loss of faith, thoughts of being chosen by

828-487: A demonic power, experiences in seeing and hearing evil entities, and persistent fear in demonic forces. These are deemed as unfavorable within religious influence, therefore are treated and diagnosed within religious collectives, as illness. However, not all possessions were deemed as negative, possessions occurring among the higher classes typically went untreated as they were said to be undertaken by benevolent spirits upholding social order; whereas possessions experienced by

920-515: A formal exorcism, called a "Major Exorcism", is given in Section 11 of the Rituale Romanum . The Ritual lists guidelines for conducting an exorcism, and for determining when a formal exorcism is required. Priests are instructed to carefully determine that the nature of the condition is not actually a psychological or physical illness before proceeding. In Catholic practice, the person performing

1012-450: A ghost to possess them. The Fashi , who are both Chinese ritual specialists and Taoist priests, are able to conduct particular rituals for exorcism. These rituals will vary between the many sects which are further influenced by the geographic region in which the specific Taoist is from. A Zheng Yi sect Taoist in Beijing may conduct a ritual completely different from a Taoist of the same sect in

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1104-458: A junkyard compressor. Maxine visits the address Labat gave her, which leads her to a house in the Hollywood Hills. She finds Molly's dismembered body inside a suitcase and learns the murders have been committed by her estranged father, a televangelist named Ernest Miller, with the assistance of the fundamentalist members of his ministry. Miller reveals he and his followers have been filming

1196-673: A major exorcism, Lutheran liturgical texts state that a physician be consulted in order to rule out any medical or psychiatric illness. The rite of exorcism centers chiefly around driving out demons "with prayers and contempt" and includes the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer . Baptismal liturgies in Lutheran Churches include a minor exorcism . While a very rare practice in the Church, there are two methods for performing an exorcism. The first

1288-541: A pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. His second experience comes from a journal entry in which he talks about the time he performed an exorcism on a friend. The practice of reciting or listening to the Paritta began very early in the history of Buddhism . It is a Buddhist practice of reciting certain verses and scriptures from Pali Canon in order to ward off misfortune or danger. The belief in

1380-428: A protagonist, thus confusing or unsettling the audience and setting up an ominous or disturbing overarching tone. In other cases, the narrator or protagonist may be reliable or ostensibly mentally stable but is placed in a situation involving another character or characters who are psychologically, mentally, or emotionally disturbed. Thus, elements of psychological horror focus on mental conflicts. These become important as

1472-698: A sound is added. Additionally, the replacement of soundtracks with sound effects highlights the role of noise in the plot of movies, such as A Quiet Place , where the blind extraterrestrial monsters are programmed to attack noise sources. The novels The Golem written by Gustav Meyrink , The Silence of the Lambs written by Thomas Harris , Robert Bloch novels such as Psycho and American Gothic , Stephen King novels such as Carrie , Misery , The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon , The Shining , and Koji Suzuki 's novel Ring are some examples of psychological horror. Shirley Jackson 's We Have Always Lived in

1564-471: A southern area such as Hong Kong. For example, the leaders of these exorcism rituals who are tangki that invited the divine powers from the Deities and conduct a dramatic performance to call out against the demons so the village can once again have peace. The leaders strike themselves with various sharp weapons to show their invincibility to ward off the demons and also to let out their blood. This form of blood

1656-441: A specific address on Starlight Drive later that night or risk repercussions. LAPD detectives Williams and Torres question Maxine about Tabby and Amber, but she refuses to answer them. She later sees Labat following her and attacks him, warning him to stay away from her. Maxine confides in her agent, Teddy Knight, who agrees to help her. Ignoring Labat's demands, Maxine begins learning the script for The Puritan II . Meanwhile, Leon

1748-496: A subgenre of horror video games . While such games may be based on any style of gameplay , they are generally more exploratory and "seek to instigate a sense of doubt about what might really be happening" in the player. Phantasmagoria (1995), D (1995), Corpse Party (1996) and Silent Hill (1999) are considered some of the first psychological horror games. Sometimes, psychological horror games will simulate crashes, file corruptions, and various other errors, such as

1840-411: A subtle escalation of suspense and horror of what can not be seen. Hitchcock's Rear Window places the main character as the primary information source for the viewer; their confusion is pervasive. The viewer lacks an omniscient understanding of events, resulting in an suspenseful and slow then explosive revelation. Shadows hide events or truths yet to be revealed, sometimes foreshadow events, and notify

1932-458: A time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being, just at this moment of great alarm I saw

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2024-511: A trip through a cinematic dark ride." Academics and historians have stated different origin periods to the psychological horror film. Historian David J. Skal described The Black Cat (1934) as "being called the first psychological horror movie in America." Academic Susan Hayward described them as a post-World War II phenomenon and giving examples of psychological horror films as Psycho (1960) and Peeping Tom (1960). Hayward continued that

2116-461: A uniquely expansive view of exorcism, believing every Christian undertakes exorcism through their struggle against sin and evil: The whole Church, past, present and future, has the task of an exorcist to banish sin, evil, injustice, spiritual death, the devil from the life of humanity ... Both healing and exorcising are ministered through prayers, which spring from faith in God and from love for man ... All

2208-572: A way to drive away the spirit is common in all sects. Demonic possession is not a psychiatric or medical diagnosis recognized by either the DSM-5 or the ICD-10 . Those who profess a belief in demonic possession have sometimes ascribed to possession the symptoms associated with physical or mental illnesses , such as hysteria , mania , psychosis , Tourette's syndrome , epilepsy , schizophrenia or dissociative identity disorder . Additionally, there

2300-609: Is a common Aid for exorcisms. Its use belongs to the Prayer to St. Michael . The Eastern Orthodox Church has a rich and complex tradition of exorcism. The practice is traced to biblical accounts of Jesus expelling demons and exhorting his apostles to "cast out devils". The church views demonic possession as the devil's primary means of enslaving humanity and rebelling against God. Orthodox Christians believe objects, as well as individuals, can be possessed. As in other Christian churches, Orthodox exorcists expel demons by invoking God through

2392-460: Is a form of monomania called demonomania or demonopathy in which the patient believes that they are possessed by one or more demons. The illusion that exorcism works on people experiencing symptoms of possession is attributed by some to placebo effect and the power of suggestion . Some cases suggest that supposedly possessed persons are actually narcissists or have low self-esteem and act demonically possessed in order to gain attention. Within

2484-458: Is by anointing with consecrated oil and laying on of hands followed by a blessing on a specific person and commanding the spirit to leave. The second and most common method is done by "raising the hand to the square" and then "commanding the spirit away in the name of Jesus Christ and with the power or authority of the Melchizedek priesthood". Exorcisms can only be performed by someone holding

2576-643: Is considered to be sacred and powerful, so after the rituals, the blood is blotted with talismans and placed on the door of houses as an act of spiritual protection against evil spirits. Such ritual using blood however is more common among folk sects such as LuShan, and does not take place in more orthodox sects such as QuanZhen or Zheng Yi who are more monastic in nature. However, it is possible that folk Taoists in rural areas descended from orthodox sects may be influenced by local folk religions, so it may be seen. Historically, all Taoist exorcisms include usage of Fulu , chanting, physical gesture like mudras, and praying as

2668-483: Is enough to inform the viewer that something or someone is there, but reveals nothing else, manipulating the viewers fears of what could be. Studies by Thayer and Ellison in the 1980 studied the effects of different types of music layered on top of stressful visual stimuli, they used dermal electromagnetic to capture information about physiological stimulation while watching and listening. They found that with stressful music and composition laid over top stressful images

2760-544: Is most focused on knowledge such as exorcism, magic, and alchemy. The basic means of exorcism are the mantra (a sacred utterance of certain phonemes or phrases that is often connected to a particular deity) and the yajna (a sacrifice, offering, or ritual done before a sacred fire). These are performed in accordance with Vedic traditions as well as the Tantra , the later esoteric teachings and practices within Hinduism. Within

2852-475: Is most likely rooted in pre-Christian paganism, and although the church rejects the notion that the evil eye can have such power, it does recognize the phenomenon as morally and spiritually undesirable and thus a target for exorcism. From the 16th century onward, Lutheran pastoral handbooks describe the primary symptoms of demonic possession to be knowledge of secret things, knowledge of languages one has never learned, and supernatural strength. Before conducting

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2944-624: Is slaughtered in his video store by the mysterious, leather-clad figure. On the set of The Puritan II , Maxine meets the star of the first film, Molly Bennett, who mentions a similar party in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Labat, angered by Maxine attacking him the previous day, chases her across the Universal Studios Lot with a gun before being caught and escorted away by security. Maxine tricks Labat into following her, during which she, Knight, and her friend Shepard Turei ambush Labat, and subsequently trap him inside of his car to be crushed by

3036-560: Is the religious practice of evicting evil spirits from person or place. The phrase itself is most commonly associated with Christianity, specifically Catholicism. It is recognized culturally around the world, and in modern discourse. This phenomenon has been made popular both in cinema and literature, with notable films such as The Exorcist (1973) taking a forefront in pop culture. The circumstances in which an exorcism would take place were determined by values set in place by religious collectives reflecting that time period. Even in modern times,

3128-467: The adhan (call for daily prayers) is also read, as this has the effect of repelling non-angelic unseen beings or the jinn . According to a study by Alean Al-Krenawi and John Graham, the process of Quranic healing in order to exorcise spirits can be divided into three stages: Josephus reports exorcisms performed by administering poisonous root extracts and others by making sacrifices. In more recent times, Rabbi Yehuda Fetaya (1859–1942) authored

3220-466: The Melchizedek priesthood , the higher of the two priesthoods of the Church, and can be performed by anyone holding that priesthood, however they are generally performed by bishops , missionaries , mission presidents , or stake presidents . Exorcisms are not recorded by the Church and therefore the number of exorcisms performed in the religion are unknown. Demonic possession is rarely talked about in

3312-431: The 2017 visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club! Exorcism Exorcism (from Ancient Greek ἐξορκισμός ( exorkismós )  'binding by oath') is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons , jinns , or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist , this may be done by causing

3404-450: The 29th, is held on the 29th of the 12th Tibetan month, with its focus on driving out all negativity, including evil spirits and misfortunes of the past year, and starting the new year in a peaceful and auspicious way. The temples and monasteries throughout Tibet hold grand religious dance ceremonies, with the largest at Potala Palace in Lhasa . Families clean their houses on this day, decorate

3496-478: The Castle is often viewed as one of the best examples of psychological horror in fiction. Bill Gibron of PopMatters declared a mixed definition of the psychological horror film, ranging from definitions of anything that created a sense of disquiet or apprehension to a film where an audience's mind makes up what was not directly displayed visually. Gibron concluded it as a "clouded gray area between all out splatter and

3588-466: The Prairie –esque look" to a "tousled blonde mane and iridescent green windbreaker." Tyler Bates composed the film's score, as he did for X and Pearl . With MaXXXine 's score, Bates aimed to create a "bespoke" atmosphere with synthesizers and vocal manipulation, as well as various instruments brought together to create an "unorthodox" sound, with primary focus on the saxophone. It was released alongside

3680-469: The adult film Maxine and her now-deceased friends had attempted to make six years prior. Upon watching it, she asks a confused Leon to find out where it came from. Meanwhile, in the Hollywood Hills, Amber and Tabby are killed and have their bodies branded with Satanic symbols. Maxine is invited to meet with John Labat, a private investigator who informs her that her previous crimes will be revealed unless she meets with his employer, telling her she must appear at

3772-497: The book Minchat Yahuda , which deals extensively with exorcism, his experience with possessed people, and other subjects of Jewish thought. The book is written in Hebrew and was translated into English. The Jewish exorcism ritual is performed by a rabbi who has mastered Kabbalah . Also present is a minyan (a group of ten adult males), who gather in a circle around the possessed person. The group recites Psalm 91 three times, and then

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3864-502: The boundaries of professional ethics by attempting to persuade his patients to accept Christianity. One scholar has described psychosurgery as "Neurosurgical Exorcisms", with trepanation having been widely used to release demons from the brain. Meanwhile, another scholar has equated psychotherapy with exorcism. In the UK, the numbers of exorcisms performed were increasing as of 2017 . A Church of England thinktank, Theos , stated that

3956-467: The characters face perverse situations, sometimes involving the supernatural , immorality , murder , and conspiracies . While other horror media emphasize fantastical situations such as attacks by monsters , psychological horror tends to keep the monsters hidden and to involve situations more grounded on artistic realism . Plot twists are an often-used device. Characters commonly face internal battles with subconscious desires such as romantic lust and

4048-487: The characters' and audience's view of potential danger through strategic lighting and visual obstructions—like in Bird Box (film) —can heighten suspense and engage the imagination, leaving much of the threat unseen. In many cases, and in a similar way as the overlapping genre of psychological thriller , psychological horror may deploy an unreliable narrator or imply that aspects of the story are being perceived inaccurately by

4140-672: The church. Demonic possession has been talked about twice by Joseph Smith , the founder of the faith. The first time refers to his experience during the First Vision and he recorded the following in his "1831 account of the First Vision": I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God, I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me and it seemed to me for

4232-402: The church. Sudden onsets of peculiar attitudes and behaviours within these societies was often diagnosed as demonic influence, or in extreme cases, demonic possession. It is known those who follow religious practise, are more likely to turn to a religious figure than a medical professional in the occurrence of these different behaviours, therefore leading to a higher incidence of the occurrence of

4324-425: The complexities of human experiences that prompt viewers to connect with characters confronting conflict. Modern research reveals the relationship between empathy and fear or the lack thereof with interest in horror. Research shows that the effects of psychological horror affects females more than males.  A current hypothesis for this difference between the genders is that it relates to social expectations and

4416-605: The demon/the spirit), ʿilāj (treatment), and ibrāʾ al-maṣrūʿ (curing the possessed), but also ruḳya (enchantment or cleansing) is used to exorcise various spirits. The Islamic prophet Muhammad taught his followers to read the last three suras from the Quran , Surat al-Ikhlas (The Fidelity), Surat al-Falaq (The Dawn) and Surat an-Nas (Mankind). The permissibility of exorcism, as well as models for its practice, can be traced to Hadiths reporting Muhammad and Jesus performing exorcism rites. Islamic exorcisms might consist of

4508-501: The desire for petty revenge. In contrast, splatter fiction and monster movies often focuses on a bizarre, alien evil to which the average viewer cannot easily relate. However, at times, the psychological horror and splatter subgenres overlap, such as in the French horror film High Tension . Fascination with horror films lies in the unreasonable, irrational, and impossible. Jung and Nietzsche 's theories exemplify humans need to escape

4600-451: The detectives are fatally wounded while pursuing Miller. Armed with a shotgun, Maxine eventually confronts her father at the Hollywood sign but is interrupted by a police helicopter. Maxine envisions herself as a celebrity credited for helping stop her father, attending the premiere of The Puritan II and revealing in an interview that the film's director, Elizabeth Bender, will be directing

4692-754: The dominant Hindu sect of Vaishnava , which reveres Vishnu as the supreme being, exorcisms are performed by reciting the names of Narasimha , a fierce avatar of Vishnu that seeks to destroy evil and restore Dharma , or by reading the Bhagavata Purana , a highly revered text that tells the story of good vanquishing evil. Another resource for exorcisms is the Garuda Purana , a vast corpus of literature mostly centered on Vishnu, deals heavily with topics related to death, disease, good versus evil, and spiritual health. The devotional hymn known as Hanuman Chalisa advises conducting exorcisms by praying to Lord Hanuman ,

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4784-662: The effective spiritual power to heal, or protect, of the Sacca-kiriyā , or asseveration of something quite true is an aspect of the work ascribed to the paritta . Several scriptures in the Paritta like Metta Sutta , Dhajagga Sutta, or Ratana Sutta can be recited for exorcism purposes, and Āṭānāṭiya Sutta is regarded as particularly effective. The ritual of the Exorcising-Ghost day is part of Tibetan tradition. The Tibetan religious ceremony 'Gutor' ༼དགུ་གཏོར་༽, literally offering of

4876-504: The end of the X trilogy; however Ti West later stated in February 2024 that he has plans for a fourth film, which would depend on the third film's reception. In May 2024, West confirmed that he was working on a fourth film and that he may develop it as his next project. However, in August 2024, during a Reddit AMA , he stated that he is "happy with where [he] left it" and that MaXXXine is likely

4968-470: The end of the series. Psychological horror Psychological horror usually aims to create discomfort or dread by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities/fears and revealing the darker parts of the human psyche that most people may repress or deny. This idea is referred to in analytical psychology as the archetypal shadow characteristics: suspicion , distrust , self-doubt , and paranoia of others, themselves, and

5060-403: The entity to swear an oath, performing an elaborate ritual , or simply by commanding it to depart in the name of a higher power. The practice is ancient and part of the belief system of many cultures and religions. In Christianity , exorcism is the practice of casting out or getting rid of demons . In Christian practice, the person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist , is a member of

5152-666: The exorcism, known as an exorcist, must be an ordained priest. The exorcist recites prayers according to the rubrics of the rite, and makes use of religious materials such as icons , sacramentals (e.g. holy water ), and holy relics . The exorcist invokes God —specifically the Name of Jesus Christ—as well as the Most Blessed Virgin Mary , saints of the Church Triumphant and the Archangel Michael to intervene with

5244-548: The exorcism. According to Catholic understanding, several weekly exorcisms over many years are sometimes required to expel a deeply entrenched demon. Saint Michael's Prayer against Satan and the Rebellious Angels , attributed to Pope Leo XIII , is considered the strongest prayer of the Catholic Church against cases of diabolic possession. The Holy Rosary also has an exorcistic and intercessory power. Holy water

5336-500: The exorcism. Protestant Christian exorcists most commonly believe the authority given to them by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity ) is the sole source of their ability to cast out demons. In general, people considered to be possessed are not regarded as evil in themselves, nor wholly responsible for their actions, because possession is considered to be unwilling manipulation by

5428-437: The exorcisms mostly took place in charismatic and Pentecostal churches, and also among communities of West African origin. Frequently, the people exorcised were people with mental health problems, who often stopped taking their medications in response to the exorcism. The report described the exorcism as a "well-meaning initiative with the potential for serious harm" with the risk of constituting "psychological abuse". Exorcism

5520-609: The film on July 5, 2024, by A24 Music. The film also uses several songs from its time period as its soundtrack, such as " Gimme All Your Lovin' " by ZZ Top , "Obsession" by Animotion, " St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) " by John Parr , and " Bette Davis Eyes " by Kim Carnes . MaXXXine had its premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on June 24, 2024. It was released in the United States by A24 on July 5, 2024. The film

5612-513: The film, Maxine sets out for fame and success in 1980s Hollywood while being targeted by a mysterious killer. MaXXXine had its premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on June 24, 2024, and was released in the United States by A24 on July 5, 2024. The film grossed $ 22 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of the series. In 1985 Los Angeles , amidst the Night Stalker murders, Maxine Minx successfully auditions for

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5704-548: The first movie. Taking place in 1985 and titled MaXXXine , the plot was confirmed to centre around Maxine, the only survivor of the "Massacre of X, " as she continues to pursue her future in Hollywood . The teaser trailer was shot with the film fast-tracked to being green-lit by A24, following the successes of the previous two installments. Jacob Jaffke, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss were tapped to serve as producers, with Goth being listed as an executive producer. According to West,

5796-493: The gender roles we are exposed to during childhood. As a result of the lack of cross-cultural research on the psychological effects of horror, one hypothesis is that individual cultures develop their own unique sense of horror, based in their cultural experiences. Hitchcock 's Rear Window used light and deliberate shadows to incite suspense in the viewer. Suspense is a fundamental part of Hitchcockian horror. The use of shadows through light to cover up information results in

5888-500: The latter half of the 20th century when the public saw a sharp rise due to the media attention exorcisms were getting. There was "a 50% increase in the number of exorcisms performed between the early 1960s and the mid-1970s". In Catholicism, exorcisms are performed in the name of Jesus Christ . There is a distinction between major exorcisms and minor exorcisms. Minor exorcisms are included in some blessings in which priests create sacramentals, such as blessed salt , and are also found in

5980-518: The lead in a new horror film, The Puritan II , despite all of her previous film credits being in adult films . After sharing the news with her friend Leon and colleague Amber James, the latter invites Maxine to a party in the Hollywood Hills , which she declines. Maxine goes to work at her second job, a live peep show , where a mysterious, leather-clad figure watches with anger. She meets another adult entertainer, Tabby Martin, who also invites her to

6072-587: The most devoted follower of Rama , a major Hindu deity as according to a shloka (couplet) (भूत पिशाच निकट नहिं आवै। महावीर जब नाम सुनावै॥) of this hymn, merely uttering Hanuman's name terrifies evil spirits into leaving the possessed. Some Hindu temples, most notably the Mehandipur Balaji Temple in Rajasthan, host exorcism rituals that invoke incarnations of Hanuman. Terms for exorcism practices include ṭard (or dafʿ ) al-shayṭān/al-jinn (expulsion of

6164-425: The murders to create a snuff film intended to expose Hollywood for what he sees as its sinful and corrupting nature. Thinking he can still "save" his daughter, Miller has his followers tie Maxine to a tree for an impromptu exorcism , which he also films. Detectives Torres and Williams interrupt the ceremony and cause a shootout, killing Miller's cohorts, injuring Miller, and giving Maxine time to free herself before

6256-647: The name of Jesus Christ. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church , all priests of the Orthodox Church are trained and equipped to perform exorcisms, particularly for the sacrament of baptism . Like their Catholic counterparts, Orthodox priests learn to distinguish demonic possession from mental illness, namely by observing whether the subject reacts negatively to holy relics or places. All Orthodox liturgical books include prayers of exorcism, namely by Saint Basil and Saint John Chrysostom . Orthodox theology takes

6348-486: The necessity of an exorcism is dictated by religious collectives. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops state on their website: "the actual determination of whether a member of the faithful is genuinely possessed by the devil is made by the Church." This is exemplary of how religion has considerable power over one's life and system of thought. Religious institutions hold great sway over societal hierarchies within communities. Religious collectives are engaged in

6440-479: The original ending involved a supernatural element involving haunting in regards to the character of Pearl but he elected to take it out because it "just felt like going backward". In January 2023, Goth stated that the script was complete and that the story was (in her opinion) the best of the series so far. The actress stated that many of the previous production team members would return, with principal photography scheduled to commence later that year. In April 2023, it

6532-435: The party that Amber mentioned, but Maxine declines again. As she walks home she is followed by a figure dressed as Buster Keaton , who corners her in an alleyway, brandishing a switchblade. Maxine pulls a gun on him, makes him strip, puts the gun in his mouth and forces him to perform fellatio on it, before stomping on and crushing his testicles with her boot. The leather-clad figure leaves a police evidence VHS tape containing

6624-428: The person's body. Sikhs do not have a belief in demonic possession . Therefore, exorcism is considered a violation of Sikh Code of Conduct. In Taoism , exorcisms are performed when an individual has been possessed by an evil spirit for one of two reasons: The victim has disturbed a ghost, regardless of intent, and the ghost now seeks revenge, or the victim has been targeted by someone using black magic to conjure

6716-515: The prayers of healing and exorcism, composed by the Fathers of the Church and in use since the third century, begin with the solemn declaration: In Thy Name, O Lord. Additionally, many Orthodox Christians subscribe to the superstition of Vaskania , or the "evil eye", in which those harboring intense jealousy and envy towards others can bring harm to them (akin to a curse) and are, in effect, demonically possessed by these negative emotions . This belief

6808-407: The project. In September 2022, at the first Midnight Madness showing of Pearl for the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival , a third film was officially announced, with a short teaser played after the post-credits . The clip was later released online for those not present at the event. West once again serves as writer/director and one of the producers, while Mia Goth will reprise her role from

6900-450: The psychological horror films and slasher films are both interchangeable terms with "horror-thrillers". Hayward said the genre resembled the slasher film with both being "vicious normalizing of misogyny ". She wrote that in both film genres, the male had a dependence on the female for a sense of identity derived from his difference from her, and often killed them with items like knives or chainsaws. Psychological horror video games are

6992-402: The psychological response was greater than when watching the same visual stimuli with non stressful sound. Music with a positive tone results in viewers perceiving simultaneous visual stimuli as positive, and when negative tones are used viewers perceive visual stimuli as negative or more threatening. They made three hypotheses and were able to prove two with their research: When following

7084-463: The rabbi blows a shofar (a ram's horn). The shofar is blown in a certain way, with various notes and tones, in effect to "shatter the body" so that the possessing force will be shaken loose. After it has been shaken loose, the rabbi begins to communicate with it and ask it questions such as why it is possessing the body of the possessed. The minyan may pray for it and perform a ceremony for it in order to enable it to feel safe, and so that it can leave

7176-419: The real world and live in a sublime space where anything is possible. Horror allows the watcher to escape mundane conventional life and express the inner workings of their irrational thoughts. H.P. Lovecraft 's explanation for the fascination of horror stems more from the lack of understanding of a humans true place and our deep inner instinct we are out of touch with, and the basic insignificance of ones life and

7268-476: The relentless process of developing organizational power and authority to guard and preserve their definitive religious experiences from members outside those communities. Priests and other high ranking religious officials had a considerable amount of influence in determining the norm within these societies. The Pope , for example, within Catholicism exudes Papal Supremacy providing him with universal power over

7360-406: The reviews leaned towards positive, while Uproxx described them as mixed. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 73% of 273 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Intoxicating with its maxxximal style, MaXXXine is an uneven but vibrant pastiche that drives a stiletto through Hollywood's heart." Metacritic , which uses

7452-481: The ritual Scrutinies of the catechumens . A related practice is deliverance ministry . The distinction between deliverance ministry and exorcism is that exorcism is conducted by priests given special permission from the Catholic Church , while deliverance ministry is prayer for people who are distressed and wish to heal emotional wounds, including those purportedly caused by evil spirits. The Catholic rite for

7544-452: The rooms and eat a special noodle soup called ' Guthuk '. ༼དགུ་ཐུག་༽ In the evening, the people carry torches, calling out the words of exorcism. In many Hindu traditions, people can be possessed by bhoots , prets or pisacha , restless and often malignant beings roughly analogous to ghosts, and to a lesser extent, demons. Of four Vedas , or holy books, of Hinduism, the Atharva Veda

7636-441: The scientific community, the work of psychiatrist M. Scott Peck , a believer in exorcism, generated significant debate and derision. Much was made of his association with (and admiration for) the controversial Malachi Martin , a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit , despite the fact that Peck consistently called Martin a liar and a manipulator. Other criticisms leveled against Peck included claims that he had transgressed

7728-607: The treated person lying down, while a sheikh places a hand on a patient's head and recites verses from the Quran, but this is not mandatory. The drinking or sprinkling of holy water (water from the Zamzam Well ) may also take place along with applying of clean, non-alcohol-based perfumes, called attar . Specific verses from the Quran are recited that glorify God (e.g., The Throne Verse ( Arabic : آية الكرسي , romanized :  Ayatul Kursi )) and invoke God's help. In some cases,

7820-447: The universe at large. Horror forces us to remember. Psychological horror further forces the manifestation of each individuals own personal horror. Our unseen humanity and our most basic human impulses forces us to seek out stimuli to remind us of our true nature and potential. Psychological horror not only ilicits fear, anxiety, and disgust but it also has the capacity to foster empathy in audiences. The genre allows audiences to navigate

7912-416: The viewer to hidden truths, resulting in suspense and the self reflection of known truths by the viewer. Light is used as a metaphor for what we know and can be seen, in the light, and what we do not know and are trying to figure out, what is in the shadows. Half illumination can be used to express a duality of emotions and uncertainty. The use of a burning cigarette or cigar, a tiny light in a sea of darkness

8004-537: The viewer. While sound design is deliberately crafted in the horror genre to evoke an emotional response, the absence of sound can be equally effective in evoking an emotional response. Soundtracks are utilized to build tension or accent a startling event, like a jump scare . However, in the film A Quiet Place , much of what builds suspense is the sparse, muted sound design. Films with minimalistic, limited soundtracks leave audiences unable to predict coming scenes and often lead to more pronounced emotional responses when

8096-526: The world. The genre sometimes seeks to challenge or confuse the audience's grasp of the narrative or plot by focusing on characters who are themselves unsure of or doubting their own perceptions of reality or questioning their own sanity . Characters' perceptions of their surroundings or situations may indeed be distorted or subject to delusions , outside manipulation or gaslighting by other characters; emotional disturbances or trauma; and even hallucinations or mental disorders . Additionally, restricting

8188-446: Was announced that Elizabeth Debicki , Moses Sumney , Michelle Monaghan , Bobby Cannavale , Lily Collins , Halsey , Giancarlo Esposito , and Kevin Bacon had been added to the cast. Principal photography took place from April to May 2023 in Los Angeles for seven weeks. The film was towards the end of editing in February 2024. In January 2024, it was reported that Goth was being sued by background actor James Hunter, who played

8280-465: Was delighted by the surprise announcement and called the teaser "pitch-perfect, hall of fame –level." On May 1, 2023, a first-look image of Goth and Halsey in costume as their respective characters was shared on A24's and the film's social media accounts. They were captioned "The life she deserves", referencing the personal mantra spoken throughout X by Maxine. Glenn Rowley of Billboard noted Goth's dramatic costume shift from her " Little House on

8372-534: Was released on VOD on August 2, 2024. It was released on Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD on October 8, 2024. MaXXXine has grossed $ 15.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $ 6.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $ 22 million. In the United States and Canada, MaXXXine was projected to gross around $ 7 million from 2,200 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $ 3.1 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $ 6.7 million, finishing in fourth. Variety reported that

8464-449: Was stated to explore another sub-genre of horror and continue the depiction of cinema's influence on society, exploring how the development of home video releases did so. West stated that while a viewer can watch each movie independently without seeing the previous film, the films were made to "complement each other." In June 2022, executive producer Peter Phok confirmed that a third film was officially in development, with West attached to

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