Jenna Ortega Made the Most of Her Small Role

The big picture

• Performance by Jenna Ortega a
  X
  he contributes to the film's themes of progression and self-acceptance, showcasing his talent as a subtle performer.
• Throughout the film, Ortega's character, Lorraine, experiences a journey of self-ownership and understanding of gender dynamics, pushing her boundaries and pursuing her own desires.
• While the role of Ortega in
  X
  She may not be big, but she makes a memorable impact as Lorraine, cementing her position as this generation's scream queen and showing her potential as a breakout star in the horror genre.

2022 was a landmark year in the horror genre, and it didn't have a more defining final girl than Jenna Ortega. Although Ortega's familiarity with the genre seemed limited to a smaller role Insidious: Chapter 2 and the disastrous Netflix sequel The Nanny Killer Queen, proved last year to be the next icon of the genre. Ortega reinvented the iconic daughter of the Addams family in the hit record Wednesdayand she gave the Shout franchise one last decent girl Neve Campbell with her performance as Tara Carpenter in the fifth and sixth installments. Amidst his string of hits, Ortega contributed to another landmark achievement in the genre thanks to his supporting turn X.

X it is the first installment in screenwriter/director You WestThe new and inventive franchise focused on the dynamic characters of the screen Mia Goth. In the first film, an amateur group of young filmmakers travel to an isolated ranch in Texas to shoot the pornographic film “The Farmer's Daughter.” in 1979. While the film stars Maxine Minx (goth) and Bobby-Lynne Parker (Brittany Snow) are experienced and enthusiastic about the vision that their producer Wayne Gilroy (Martin Henderson) has for the film, Lorraine Day (Ortega) is more doubtful about the artistic merits of pornography. Many of her reservations stem from prejudices she's picked up from her boyfriend, director RJ Nichols (Owen Campbell), but over the course of filming, it starts to open up.

while X is a dynamic and fun throwback to the 70s horror classic. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, in particular, it's also a smart examination of sexuality, body image, and female autonomy. In X, both Maxine and Bobby-Lynne are comfortable and open to celebrating their beauty on screen, drawing the jealousy of their host, Pearl (goth). Lorraine's character arc epitomizes the film's themes as she is taught the merits of self-love and begins to understand why women shouldn't be ashamed of their sexuality. Despite not being at the center of the story, Ortega provides a valuable story X this makes his message even more impactful.

Jenna Ortega's Lorraine Highlights 'X' Themes of Progression and Self-Acceptance

X is a film that celebrates finding a community of compassion, so it's interesting that Lorraine is initially an outsider within this passionate group of young filmmakers. She is part of the production of The farmer's daughter because of RJ's involvement, and is more or less forced to go on the road trip with everyone to gain some experience in the world of film. We aren't given many details about her life before the film, but judging by some subtle hints, Lorraine is indicated to have some interest in the artistic nature of the film. She quickly notices inventive ways to style RJ's shots, despite being relatively unimpressed by the pornographic content they're filming.

It's during these brief interactions that Ortega's talent as a subtle performer really shines. As he also proved in the very underrated drama The Fallout, Ortega can imply a larger story to his characters, even if it's never directly told to the audience. Lorraine's disinterest in sexually explicit films is not out of hatred or prejudice, as she is genuinely in awe of Maxine and Bobby-Lynne's confidence. It is through her own passing interest that Lorraine begins to see the contradictions in her boyfriend's claims about gender.

RJ wants to use pornography to create “art”, so he thinks Maxine and Bobby-Lynne should get excited about filming intimate scenes. However, when he realizes that Lorraine is willing to participate in the film, he immediately becomes angry. This reveals the misogyny behind his thinking; RJ thinks Lorraine belongs to him and wants her to “protect” his reputation. It is through Lorraine's joyful friendship with Maxine and Bobby-Lynne that she understands that at the end of the day, “The Farmer's Daughter” it's still something RJ is filming through the male gaze.

Jenna Ortega Shows Lorraine's Journey To Self-Ownership In 'X'

The scenes that Ortega shares with Goth and Snow are quite delightful; the other girls don't push Lorraine to do anything she's uncomfortable with, but they gently scold her and offer encouragement as she tests her limits. He also shows real enthusiasm and self-possession when he manages to shoot an intimate scene with one of the film's stars, Jackson Hole (Kid Cudi). It's a mini-act of defiance on his part; RJ has been trying to do something to attract the male gaze, but Lorraine found a way to use her to pursue her own desires.

Ortega shows real progression in Lorraine's understanding of gender dynamics, but also makes it clear that she's still young, shy, and inexperienced. Lorraine's fears about the content of the production may have been allayed, but she is still in the middle of nowhere with little autonomy or connection to the outside world. X is a film in which the characters (for the most part) avoid making the kind of “dumb mistakes” that the slasher genre is so famous for, and Lorraine's trip to the basement to retrieve something for Howard (Esteve Ure) makes some sense. Maybe if she does her enigmatic host a favor, he might realize that she didn't sign up to take over his farm without permission.

Jenna Ortega is this generation's Scream Queen

Like any great scream queen, Ortega at least manages to leave the film on a memorable note. X has plenty of grizzly and inventive death scenes, but Lorraine's escape from Howard's bunker suggests she might end up making it out alive. Unfortunately, a last-second panic causes Lorraine to make a hasty break for the exit, only to be brutally gunned down by Howard. It's a bit melancholy; if Lorraine had placed her faith in Maxine one last time, they might have made it together. It's never entirely clear in horror movies which rising stars will emerge. Not everyone watching Friday the 13th would have waited Kevin Bacon to become the icon he did. Ortega may not have played an important role Xbut it's one she took full advantage of.

while X It was undoubtedly Ortega's breakthrough, it is not very atypical within his filmography. In recent years, Ortega has graduated from being a “scene stealer” in horror films to becoming the definitive scream queen of her generation. Although he obviously couldn't come back for the X prequel Bywas able to take care of the Shout franchise with its lead performance in the 2022 reboot. Call VI it depended even more on Ortega and the new generation of stars introduced in the fifth installment of the series; with Neve Campbell i David Arquette He did not return, Ortega remained as one of the two default protagonists of the saga. then, Tim Burton he himself introduced Ortega Wednesday, which has become one of the biggest shows in the streaming service's history. The show wouldn't have become so popular if it hadn't been for Ortega's demented but charismatic portrayal of the titular character. Ortega and Burton reunite for the long-awaited sequel to Beetle juicewhich will bring back returning cast members Michael Keaton i Winona Ryder.

X it airs on Showtime in the United States.

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