Unlike xXx: Return of Xander Cage, XX is supposed to be alarming. The movie is notable for two reasons: It’s a four-part horror anthology, and each segment is directed by a woman. In Roxanne Benjamin’s “Don’t Fall,” a group of friends “trespass on someone – or something – else’s land” during a camping trip. Jovanka Vuckovic’s “The Box” is an adaptation of Jack Ketchum’s “existential horror story” of the same name. “Her Only Living Son” is Karyn Kusama’s follow-up to the underrated The Invitation. And Annie Clark, better known as musical virtuoso St. Vincent, makes her directorial debut with “Birthday Party,” probably not based on Nick Cave’s pre-Bad Seeds group. The stories will be wrapped together by animation from Sofia Carrillo.
A few clips from each short are shown at the end of the trailer above, and Clark’s looks the weirdest (like a Wes Anderson movie coming down from a drug-high) and Benjamin’s the most traditionally scary. Clark was brought on-board because of her “singular vision,” according to Magnolia Pictures president Eamonn Bowles, which translates to guitar-bending music, Portlandia appearances, mocking magazine covers, and now, feature films.
XX — which stars Natalie Brown, Melanie Lynskey, Breeda Wool, and Christina Kirk — opens in select theaters and on VOD on Feb. 17. Unlike xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which opens in a dollar theater near you on Jan. 20.
