Warning: The following contains major spoilers for the X trilogy.

Ambitious women are rarely judged kindly by history. Often called cruel or heartless, they’re punished for going after what they want in a way that men simply aren’t. Especially if they choose an unconventional life, eschewing the domestic roles we’ve been told to prize. Women who choose stardom are especially vilified – either picked apart for their physical appearance or for daring to show their authentic selves to the world. And heaven help them if they show any skin. Seductive women may rise to the top, but they do so with labels like harlot, temptress, floozy, and whore.

Bette Davis, one of Hollywood’s most ambitious women, spoke on this phenomenon saying, “In this business, until you’re known as a monster you’re not a star.” This quote introduces Ti West’s MaXXXine, the concluding chapter in a trilogy exploring female ambition.