To West's credit, he has given more attention to his characters. Turns out the old lady has her own urges that the old husband is no longer physically able to satisfy, so she seeks out solace one way or another with the newcomers, whether that be through her sexual satisfaction or through violence. The octogenarian couple who owns the farm property doesn't seem to approve of these young folk, and the old lady ends up becoming the slasher killer that mows down the randy young adults. It's set in 1979 and we follow a ragtag film crew trying to make 'a good dirty movie.' They've rented a guest house in the middle of nowhere Texas as their film site because who knows. It's clearly going for a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe and docu-drama aesthetic. Ti West (House of the Devil) is a director I haven't fully enjoyed, though I would say X is his most accomplished film to date for me. There's only so many monsters that can chase so many teenagers. Just about every modern horror movie wears its many influences, even the recent trend of elevated horror movies that are trying to say Big Things with equal amounts of arty style and bloodshed. Horror is likely the most forgiving genre out there for being derivative.
