★★★

From the moment she struts into her first frame in MaXXine, skin-tight in silhouette and denim, Mia Goth is everything. In a film all about exploitation and the thirst for fame, only she has the fangs to drink it. There’s just something about her ownership of Ti West’s screen that screams star, even without the Bette Davis’ eyes and Betty Boop lips. No doubt, the film itself, which is likely the weaker of the now three X films, underserves Goth’s gumption. Certainly, it’s an uneven effort, rising well but folding hard. And yet, so long as there’s bite in those fangs, there’s a compelling beat to be found.