This article contains spoilers for MaXXXine (2024)In 2024's Ti West's X trilogy, a horror film series that explores sex, identity, and stardom through the characters of Maxine and Pearl. Since X's release in 2022, the franchise has been both financially and critically successful. Now, MaXXXine has brought the decade-spanning story to a climactic end.

While much of MaXXXine focuses on Maxine's casting in a religious horror movie, The Puritan II, under the surface of her story is a murder mystery that is seemingly wrapped up in her past. Maxine begins getting strange messages from an anonymous figure claiming to know that she killed Pearl. Many of her friends also end up being horrifically murdered. Not to mention, there is also a serial killer called the Night Stalker on the loose in LA. Despite Maxine's desire to focus on her career, she must put her dreams aside to get to the bottom of this mysterious criminal.

Maxine's Dad Ernest Miller Is The Killer In MaXXXine

How Ernest Appeared Earlier In The Film

As it turns out, the man behind the murders is none other than Maxine's father, Ernest Miller. Maxine has this shocking revelation when she enters a hillside mansion and finds her father watching an old home video of her as a child, which played at the start of the movie. The dismembered body of Maxine's co-star, Molly, is also there, proving that Ernest was the one who committed those heinous crimes against her, Tabby, and Leon. Maxine and Ernest have a strangely heartfelt reunion before Ernest disarms Maxine and knocks her unconscious.

Ernest's reveal is particularly shocking since MaXXXine is the first movie to include his character. Before the third movie, Maxine's home life and origins remained a mystery. Yet, in retrospect, Ernest plays a rather big part throughout the film. Before his identity is discovered, Ernest appears as a shadowy figure, working alongside the private detective, John Labat, to dig into Maxine's past. He also makes anonymous appearances during the filmed murders of Tabby and Amber, and during the bloody axe-murder of Leon in the video store. Luckily, MaXXXine also provides some backstory surrounding Ernest's intentions and his relationship with Maxine.

Why Maxine's Dad Wants To Kill Her In MaXXXine

Maxine & Ernest's Relationship Explained

Although MaXXXine's ending doesn't dive too deep into the relationship between Maxine and her father, it is clear that their bond is loving, but strained. The main reason for this is Ernest's role as a Southern televangelist and Maxine's career as an adult film actor. While the old home video insinuates that Ernest pushed his daughter to be a self-confident star, it seems as though Maxine veered off the path Ernest wanted for her, and now she is considered to be a sinner in his eyes. Ernest's love-hate relationship with Maxine is the impetus behind him becoming a murderer.

Ernest still holds incredible love for his daughter, but cannot tolerate her career in the sex industry, nor can he abide by the fact that she murdered someone.

Ernest doesn't necessarily want to kill Maxine, but he wants to rid her of her dark past. Ernest still holds incredible love for his daughter, but cannot tolerate her career in the sex industry, nor can he abide by the fact that she murdered someone. That is why he doesn't simply murder Maxine, but ties her to a tree and attempts to perform an exorcism on her, aided by his cult of religious followers. Little does he know that Maxine has no desire to return to her old life and will do anything to maintain the fame she has earned.

Ernest Miller's Plan In MaXXXine Explained

Ernest Blames Hollywood For Maxine's Sins

Once Ernest incapacitates Maxine, his evil plan comes to light. Ernest hired Labat to find Maxine and get dirt on her, including her time with Pearl during X. Then, he targeted Maxine's friends, Tabby, Leon, and Molly, seemingly as a scare tactic aimed at Maxine, but also perhaps out of hate for their chosen lives. Once Maxine finds Ernest, his plan continues as he attempts to exorcise Maxine and save her from what he deems to be the fiery pits of hell. Notably, he films his murders and Maxine's exorcism, which is the second part of his plan.

Ernest is doing this to "save" Maxine, but also because he blames Hollywood for his daughter's sinful descent. His intention is to film himself committing murders to create a snuff film that he will release to the entire world. He believes this film will prove to everyone that Hollywood is a sinful place that hurts people and turns them bad. He believes this is what happened to Maxine, and hopes to make an example of her through exorcism. Of course, this doesn't pan out for Ernest, but the idea alone proves his lack of morality, despite his religious ties.

Was Ernest Miller The Night Stalker In MaXXXine?

The True Story Of The Night Stalker

Ernest's crimes are at the center of MaXXXine, so it is easy to assume that he was the Night Stalker haunting Los Angeles. However, the movie proves this isn't the case by showing a news clip of the real Night Stalker getting arrested after Ernest's death. This leaves audiences wondering who the nicknamed serial killer actually was. As it turns out, MaXXXine's Night Stalker is based on a very real serial killer named Richard Ramirez who terrorized Los Angeles from 1984 to 1985. He was also called the Night Stalker, along with the Walk-In Killer and the Valley Intruder (Variety).

One of Richard Ramirez's victims was named Maxine Zazzara.

The crimes included in MaXXXine are quite similar to Ramirez's, though the movie never references him by name. Ramirez committed at least 13 murders in California, many of which included the use of satanic symbols. Unlike the fictional Ernest, who would lure his victims to a secondary location, Ramirez would typically break into the homes of LA residents and kill them inside. After leaving two survivors in 1985, Ramirez's fingerprints were found at the scene, and he was quickly apprehended. In this way, MaXXXine masterfully blends gruesome fiction with bloody reality.

Source: Variety