For those who revel in the chill-inducing craft of horror, often sprinkled with an underlayer of cringe and garnished with a nauseating sauce of gore, the name Ti West holds weight. With his recent third installment labeled “Maxxxine,” West completes his chilling horror trilogy, an anthology solidly anchored in cinematic throwbacks. But where ‘X’ and ‘Pearl,’ the first and second installments respectively, are seasoned with enough wit to not leave a stale aftertaste, ‘Maxxxine,’ it seems, has fallen into the very pot it has been cooking over.

Warning for the faint-hearted: the amuse-bouche of ‘Maxxxine’ serves up a man’s scrotum, eviscerated by a stiletto heel. Quite understandably, this harsh hors d’oeuvre might deter any developing appetites. Yet, such a moment, morbid yet ridiculous enough to evoke both shuddering and sniggering, prompts questions of where homage ends and exploitation begins.

Each filming dish of West’s trilogy is peppered with references to past masterpieces. ‘X,’ draped in a 70’s horror shroud, nods a respectful tip of the hat to the likes of ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,’ while ‘Pearl’ oozes the charm of revered 50’s musicals and Disney melodramas. ‘Maxxxine,’ cooked in the 80’s retro oven, pays homage to iconic horror-thrillers of the era, vibrating an echoing resonance with Brian De Palma’s ‘Body Double’ and sex-laden revenge dramas such as Abel Ferrara’s ‘Ms. 45.’

Yet, the flavor of ‘X’ and ‘Pearl’ stands apart from their cited counterparts, blending character-oriented narratives with philosophical explorations into fame, sex, and pornography rather than simply aping the vintage horrors of yesteryears. Comparatively, ‘Maxxxine’s’ sheen is smudged with an intimacy to its referential violence-savoring films, making it the first entrée in West’s trilogy to unabashedly flaunt their shared lineage.

The intensified taste of ‘Maxxxine’ though, unlike an award-winning chef’s secret ingredient, lessens the dish’s appeal. Its sharper, slicker, frantic pace supplemented by ample red-tinged gore, while entertaining to some horror gourmets, comes with an irksome side dish—an absence of creativity—making it appear like West has, to quote Kurt Vonnegut, transformed into the brew he was merely mimicking before.

Maxine Minx, the connecting thread of West’s triptych, played effortlessly by Mia Goth, in ‘Maxxxine’ is an X survivor attempting to triage her life in Hollywood. Dealing with debauchery and pornography, Maxine is as much a victim as a fighter, provided with opportunities only for her life and career to be constantly threatened. Her arena is a satirical, gory landscape shaded with elements recalling the resurrected Night Stalker plot and the bloodcurdling real-life Black Dahlia crime.

West’s catering of unnerving narratives includes a fair mix of brutalities against both sexes. However, Maxxxine’s screen time tilts toward harrowing threats, exploitations, and victimization of women. As Maxine navigates the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, a sense of familiarity and redundancy emerges despite West’s attempts to shock audiences with visceral violence.

Ultimately, Maxxxine fails to flesh out Goth’s character, rendering Maxine to be a mere pivot for a spiral of violence rather than a fully formed individual. Maxine’s reactions, her trials and tribulations amidst a hypersexualized Hollywood, become the film’s meaty servings where Maxine herself, unfortunately, ends up being served lifeless on the silver platter. The trilogy’s closure comes with more of a whimper compared to its predecessors ‘X’ and ‘Pearl,’ which allowed Goth’s characters to assert their presence and desires.

While West’s earlier films in the series managed to balance the grotesque with character development and plot progress, ‘Maxxxine’ seems to stumble. Its prime motive appears to satiate the blood-thirsty and sex-hungry appetites of its audience rather than complete Maxine’s arc, drawing a stark contrast to the first two films. West replaces homage with an earnest attempt to outdo his influences, leaving the trilogy’s finale lacking freshness, save for a lavish budget and technological advancements.

Maxxxine’s invitation to the dinner table of horror fans will draw out those who relish in the relentless splattering of sex and violence. However, for those seeking a meatier saga, the course leaves a lot to be desired. As it splashes onto cinema screens on July 5, one can only hope that West finds a fresh recipe for his next cinematic exploration.