That may all be true, but with a critics score on Rotten Tomatoes of 96 percent and an audience score of 75 percent, “X” has clearly been worth the struggle. This is the sort of score that makes it all worth it. West continued in the newsletter:

During my time off I revisited a lot of films that I love — particularly those from the 1970s. There was such a reverence for the art of cinema during that decade. Mainstream films respected and challenged their audience’s appreciation for filmmaking, and independently-produced exploitation films catered unapologetically to titillating the subversive taste of the masses. My goal with ‘X’ was to hopefully somehow capture the best of both worlds. To make you think about the craft of filmmaking while still having a fun night out at the movies.

I love that. Real passion projects don’t come around that often, so when inspiration strikes and connects with audiences like this, it’s worth all the toil. 

“X” stars Mia Goth, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Jenny Ortega, Scott Mescudi, Owen Campbell, and Stephen Ure. The film opens in theaters on March 18, 2022.