MaXXXine 2024

In the scorching summer of 1985, Los Angeles was gripped by fear as the Night Stalker murders shook the city. Amidst this climate of terror, Maxine Minx (played by) scored a major coup by landing the lead role in the horror film The Puritan II, despite her previous credits being limited to adult fare. As she shared the news with her friend Leon and industry colleague Amber James, the latter extended an invitation to a party in the exclusive Hollywood Hills neighborhood, which Maxine declined. Instead, she reported for duty at her second job - a live peep show - where a mysterious figure clad in leather watched her performance with a mixture of disdain and fascination.

This enigmatic individual later left a police evidence VHS tape containing a porn film that Maxine had attempted to make six years prior with friends who were now deceased. The discovery sent Maxine scrambling for answers, tasking Leon with uncovering the origin of the incriminating footage. Meanwhile, in the Hollywood Hills, Amber and Tabby Martin, another adult entertainer, received a gruesome invitation from an unseen force - their bodies were found branded with Satanic symbols, signaling a descent into darkness.

As Maxine navigated this treacherous landscape, she was approached by John Labat, a private investigator who revealed that her past misdeeds would be exposed unless she agreed to meet with his employer. The terms of the deal were simple: Maxine had to appear at a specific address on Starlight Drive later that night or face the consequences. LAPD detectives Williams and Torres questioned her about Tabby’s and Amber’s murders, but Maxine remained tight-lipped, refusing to cooperate. Later, she spotted Labat following her and launched a preemptive strike against him, warning him to keep his distance.

Despite Labat’s demands, Maxine continued to rehearse her lines for The Puritan II, seemingly oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows. As the body count continued to rise, Leon became the latest victim of the killer, found dead in his video store. The next day, detectives Williams and Torres attempted to wear Maxine down with psychological manipulation, but she remained resolute. Seeking guidance from her agent, Teddy Knight, Maxine confided in him about Labat’s threats, prompting him to agree to continue supporting her despite the risks.

On the set of The Puritan II, Maxine crossed paths with Molly Bennett, the star of the original film, who shared a chilling tale of a party in the Hollywood Hills that bore an uncanny resemblance to the ones she had attended. As tensions escalated, Labat - fueled by his own rage and frustration - launched a desperate chase across the Universal Studios Lot, only to be apprehended by security guards. That night, Maxine outsmarted Labat once more, luring him into a trap with her agent and friend Shepard Turei, ultimately entombing him in his car, which was then crushed by a junkyard compressor - a gruesome end to the private investigator’s tormented journey.

As Maxine ventures into the Hollywood Hills, a labyrinth of opulence and deceit, the address Labat provided leads her to a house shrouded in secrecy. Upon entering, she’s met with a gruesome discovery: Molly’s lifeless body, brutally dismembered, a testament to the depravity that lurks beneath the city’s glamorous façade. The true extent of this horror unfolds as Maxine learns that Ernest Miller, her estranged father and a televangelist, has committed these heinous acts in tandem with his fundamentalist followers. Miller’s twisted motive is revealed: to create a snuff film, a grotesque exposé of Hollywood’s perceived sinfulness, which they believe will bring about its downfall.

Undeterred by the atrocities she’s witnessed, Maxine finds herself bound and gagged, at the mercy of her father’s zealot followers. Ernest Miller attempts to “save” his daughter through an impromptu exorcism, a gruesome ritual that he also chooses to film. Just as all hope seems lost, Torres and Williams intervene, sparking a violent shootout that claims the lives of Miller’s cohorts, leaves him gravely injured, and grants Maxine a fleeting opportunity to free herself before her would-be rescuers meet their demise.

As reality slowly returns, Maxine finds herself face-to-face with her father once more, this time at the iconic Hollywood sign. Armed with a shotgun, she confronts Ernest Miller, determined to put an end to his reign of terror. However, just as the confrontation reaches its climax, a police helicopter intervenes, forcing Maxine to rethink her strategy.

In the aftermath, Maxine envisions herself as a celebrated celebrity, credited with helping bring down her father’s twisted empire. She imagines attending the premiere of The Puritan II, proudly proclaiming that Elizabeth Bender will be directing a biographical film about her remarkable journey. Returning to reality, Maxine seizes control, using her newfound fame to fuel her continued work on the film. A month later, she remains committed to The Puritan II, driven by an insatiable hunger for success and a desire to transcend the darkness that has haunted her throughout.