X

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, X is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and Stan right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Mia Goth — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

X arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. X takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives. The performances from Mia Goth and Jenna Ortega give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. X came out in 2022. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

X is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Mia Goth's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.