XX is an anthology written and directed by women. There are four stories and only three are about motherhood. The first story is called The Box about a family riding the train home one day. The little boy of the family is curious what a stranger has in his box. The stranger shows him and then gets off the train. From that moment on, the boy won't eat anything. As the condition starts spreading to the rest of the family, the mom feels left out and helpless. Things get bad.
The second story is directed by indie rocker St. Vincent. It is called The Birthday Party and it isn't much of a story. A woman wakes up on the morning of her daughter's birthday party to discover her husband came home during the night and died. But why should that ruin the party? Despite a Joe Swanberg appearance, some really iffy decisions add up to nothing much in particular.
The third story is about a group of four hiking in the desert. They come across an ancient painting that seems to be a warning. It is a warning they should have listened to. This one is short and sweet, nothing too fancy.
The final story is called Her Only Living Son and it stars Christina Kirk from Powerless. She plays a single mom whose son is turning 18. They have been on the run most of his life and it turns out that his father's identity is not what he thinks. This is a nifty riff on Rosemary's Baby as in what would have happened if even one person had believed her story? The ending is a little ambiguous for me but otherwise, I liked it.
This anthology has some moments but certainly isn't the best I've seen. I like that it showcases female voices in horror but it needed a little more juice.
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