XX (2017)

XX is special because it doesn’t feel like a grab-bag anthology so much as a curated showcase of four unmistakable voices, each taking a different route to the same destination: that slow, tightening knot of dread horror fans crave. The film’s framing device has a handcrafted, storybook-gone-wrong vibe, and the segments themselves range from quietly devastating to nervy and darkly funny, united by imagery that sticks in your mind longer than you’d like to admit. Even when one tale hits you more than another, the overall experience stays lively because the directors aren’t chasing the same scare—they’re chasing their own obsessions, and that variety makes the thrills feel fresh. If you need a single, clean through-line or perfectly even pacing, anthologies can be a mixed meal, but if you’re on the fence and want horror that’s imaginative, nasty in the best way, and confidently different, XX is absolutely worth the ride.

XX is clearly trying to be a stylish, female-led horror showcase—four directors, four distinct flavors, and a creepy wraparound meant to tie it all together. The problem is the anthology imbalance: one segment might hook you with a sharp idea or nasty mood, and the next feels thin, rushed, or like it ends just when it should be escalating, which makes the whole experience feel disjointed. The stop-motion framing is memorable but more “look at this cool nightmare” than a satisfying glue for the stories, so don’t expect a cohesive theme or a big cumulative payoff. If you enjoy sampling different horror tones and don’t mind uneven execution, there are flashes of creativity and some gnarly imagery; if you want consistent quality, strong endings, or a unified narrative, this will likely frustrate you.