>*"Y'all might as well go home cause I just fuckin' nailed that!"*

A killer first scene with the audition but I didn't think [spoiler]Maxine would get the role[/spoiler] so early in the movie, after that it felt like there was nothing left to root for or be excited about. It never really picked up after that sadly and it all feels... empty. It doesn't take long before you realize Maxine is no Pearl either, the character just isn't as interesting and we don't get enough character depth. I really enjoyed the scenes between Maxine and the director (Elizabeth Debicki) though, those were the most interesting. Mia Goth was excellent as always but nowhere near as explosive as what she did in *Pearl*.

So many fun cameos (a refreshing role for Kevin Bacon here) and we get endless movie references but this all feels like a distraction from the real story, it's not focused enough and undercooked. The Giallo genre is known for being style over substance but I think that's a poor excuse. The Night Stalker stuff certainly fits into the trilogy perfectly on a story level but it's gotta be one of the most predictable killer reveals i've seen in a while.

Easily one of the best movies of the year visially, Ti West truly has style. Memorable 80's aesthetics, killer soundtrack, peak editing, and I always felt like I was in Hollywood watching it. The kills are lackluster though and I was never shocked in the entirely of the movie in comparison to *X* and *Pearl*. The third act was the less enjoyable, felt like a silly over-the-top stage play and I got some *American Horror Story* vibes for some reason and not a good season I should say. I like the ending but I don't like how we got there. Biggest disappointement of the year? We came so close to a perfect trilogy damn it.