PHOTO BY JUSTIN LUBIN / A24

On the cusp of stardom, Maxine Minx stomps out a cigarette on the Hollywood Walk of Fame star dedicated to Theda Bara. The silent-era sex symbol was known for popularizing the vamp archetype, luring men in before destroying them emotionally; such subtleties are of no use to Maxine.

She may well destroy men, but she’ll do it literally — and she has no need of luring them anywhere.

“Maxxxine” is the third chapter in a rapid-fire horror trilogy by director Ti West, who rolled out the perfect slasher “X” in March 2022 and released its prequel, “Pearl,” just six months later. “X” culminated in a showdown between the murderous Pearl Douglas and Minx, an adult-film star with dreams of grandeur; both roles are played by Mia Goth, who is virtuosic in every frame of this series.

“Pearl” flashed back to the disappointments and dismemberments of Douglas’ youth, setting up the events of “X.” “Maxxxine” rolls forward, introducing us to a Minx on the brink of actual stardom; she’s scored her first non-stag role, she’s got an agent who would (and will) kill for her, and her single-minded focus on fame seems ready to actually pay off.

As she attempts to please her exacting director (Elizabeth Debicki), the past begins nipping at Minx’s heels in the form of a grating private detective with a Louisiana drawl (Kevin Bacon). It seems someone knows where she’s been and what she’s done and is not happy with her sin-soaked celebrity.

Genre fans will recognize “Maxxxine” as a relocation of the Italian giallo subgenre, a tawdry type of slasher in which never-seen killers stalk unsuspecting young prey against dreamy choreography and soaring scores. West transposes that style to ’80s Los Angeles, exploring the barely concealed underbelly of Hollywood; it’s ground that has been trod from “Sunset Boulevard” to “Mulholland Drive,” but the slick and appealing style makes it feel like fresh territory.

Nevertheless, there’s something slightly cold about “Maxxxine.” For want of Pearl — the character brought pitiable sorrow to “X” and technicolor intensity to her eponymous prequel — “Maxxxine” slightly lacks the madcap energy of its predecessors. I believe that’s intentional; this is a film about the cost of fame, and Maxine is defined by her steely determination.

If it’s not quite as powerful as the rest of the series, it remains a commendable and fascinating film, particularly in how fully West removes himself from the playground of his other features and insists on a new mode. If the series does not continue, he’s made one of the best horror trilogies of all time; possibly the very best. And he’s done it with three movies that share characters but not a scrap of style or tone; he has let one powerhouse performer knit together three divergent narratives.

And what a powerhouse performer. No one devours the screen like Mia Goth.

My Rating: 8/10

“Maxxxine” is now playing in theaters.