Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for events related to the new movie MaXXXine.
Set in Los Angeles in 1985, the new horror movie MaXXXine stars Mia Goth as Maxine Minx, an adult film star pursuing her breakout role as a mainstream actor. All the while, Hollywood is gripped with fear following a series of series of grisly murders by a suspect known as the “Night Stalker.”
The nickname is a direct reference to Richard Ramirez, who was convicted in 1989 of murdering 13 people throughout California. Ramirez was sentenced to death and spent almost 24 years on death row before dying of lymphoma complications in June 2013.
The movie’s crime-driven plot draws heavy inspiration from one of the most notorious serial killers in history. When people close to Maxine begin falling prey to a mysterious figure, it’s heavily implied the Night Stalker is responsible for their deaths. But did the crimes in MaXXXine really happen, and if so, was Ramirez involved? Here’s a look at what is and isn’t true about the movie.
The murders in the movie never happened
During the course of the movie, Maxine’s friends Amber, Tabby, and Leon (played by Chloe Farnworth, Halsey, and Moses Sumney, respectively) as well as young actor Molly Bennett (Lily Collins) each become victims of an unidentified killer. All four people, plus the other primary characters in MaXXXine, are fictional, meaning the murders didn’t occur in real life.
Furthermore, all hints of the Night Stalker’s involvement turn out to be a red herring, as the killer is actually a copycat connected to Maxine’s past. The eventual apprehension of the movie’s Night Stalker is shown through archival news footage of Ramirez, though the character isn’t directly shown or identified.
Ramirez was active in the mid-1980s when the movie occurs
Still, the fictional events of MaXXXine do line up with the timeline of Ramirez’s crimes. The first murder attributed to Ramirez occurred on June 28, 1984, and his killing spree continued for more than a year until his arrest on August 31, 1985—the same year the movie takes place.
Goth spoke about the significance of the Night Stalker’s presence in the movie. “It sets out a breadcrumb trail back to reality,” she told Total Film. “It’s not just some big sweeping horror movie that’s purely for entertainment value. It’s rooted in something.”
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, one of Ramirez’s victims was named Maxine. The killer murdered 44-year-old Maxine Zazzara and her 64-year-old husband, Vincent, inside their home on March 27, 1985.
Ramirez was connected to Satanism
While the crimes in MaXXXine didn’t actually happen, their details were inspired by Ramirez. Detectives in the movie initially suspect the Night Stalker is behind the deaths because of Satanic imagery left at the respective crime scenes. Most notably, the killer brands each victim with a pentacle.
Ramirez left similar clues during his attacks. According to People, he often drew pentagrams and sometimes forced victims to swear to Satan instead of God. After Ramirez pleaded not guilty to 14 murder charges, a stenographer documented him saying “Hail Satan!” inside a Los Angeles courtroom. Biography.com has previously reported Ramirez’s trial likewise attracted a cult-like following of supporters, some of whom worshipped Satan.
Director Ti West has explained the inclusion of Ramirez and other real figures in MaXXXine is less about leaving easter eggs for viewers than properly illustrating the “Satanic panic” that existed during the 1980s. “It does play a significant role in the story but in its own particular way,” he said.
The movie also references The Black Dahlia murder
In addition to the Night Stalker subplot, MaXXXine adds to its realism through references to real-life figures and properties. These include scenes that take place on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1960 thriller Psycho, as well as allusions to real actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, John Travolta, and Demi Moore.
Through dialogue between Maxine and her friend Tabby about the dangers of traversing Los Angeles alone, the movie also explicitly references and draws parallels to the 1947 murder of aspiring actor Elizabeth Short, known as the “Black Dahlia.” The implication is that Maxine could meet a similar fate if she isn’t careful amid her pursuit of fame, adding tension up until the movie’s religious-themed climax.
Similar to the fictional Maxine, Short traveled to Los Angeles hoping to break into the film industry. However, Short was only 22 when her body was found brutally mutilated in January 1947. The Black Dahlia murder drew national attention and remains one of the most infamous unsolved cases in history, inspiring numerous books and films. MaXXXine is now the latest entry on that list.
See MaXXXine in Theaters Now
MaXXXine is in theaters now and stars Mia Goth alongside Kevin Bacon, Halsey, Lily Collins, and The Crown star Elizabeth Debicki.
Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.
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