MaXXXine Ending Explained: Unveiling the Killer

The final installment in Ti West’s acclaimed horror trilogy, MaXXXine, is now playing in theaters. The film sees Mia Goth reprising her role as Maxine Minx, the sole survivor of a grisly Texas massacre depicted in the 2022 film X.

Six years have passed since the traumatic events, and Maxine has relocated to Los Angeles to chase her dream of becoming a movie star. However, her aspirations come to a terrifying halt as a serial killer begins targeting Hollywood starlets, putting Maxine in the crosshairs.

Here’s what transpires at the climax of MaXXXine. Spoilers ahead.

The film’s third act unveils that the main antagonist is Maxine’s father, televangelist Ernest Miller, portrayed by Simon Pratt. Ernest, along with the private detective John Labat, played by Kevin Bacon, has been murdering Maxine’s friends throughout the film, including characters Leon, Tabby, Amber, and her co-star Molly Bennett.

Ernest holds the devil responsible for stealing Maxine away and believes she has been corrupted by satanic influences in Hollywood. He has been planning to perform an exorcism on her to purify her from what he perceives as evil, a path he believes led her to the adult film industry.

Maxine is eventually kidnapped by her father’s cult, who demand she repent or undergo a painful pentagram branding, similar to previous victims. However, Detectives Torres and Williams arrive in time to save her. The confrontation sees the trio pursuing Ernest and his cult members.

During the ensuing fight, Detective Torres is fatally shot. His partner manages to critically wound Ernest, but not before being stabbed in the eye with a crucifix. As she falls down the Hollywood hills, it remains uncertain if she survives. Maxine then finishes her father off by shooting him in the head with a shotgun.

With Ernest dead and the case closed, Maxine returns to work with director Elizabeth Bender on the Puritan franchise. Now a major star, she finds herself back on the set of The Puritan II. At some point, she did manage to complete her life cast. The movie ends with a scene of the fictional film crew capturing a close-up of Maxine’s severed head, portrayed by her movie character Veronica.

This final shot seems to nod to the ending of Pearl, where that film concluded with a close-up of Mia Goth’s face. However, in MaXXXine, the camera continues to pan upward, moving out of Hollywood and into the stars above.