Why Brittany Snow's X Nude Scenes Were Needed, According To The Actress

The slasher horror genre is known for diving into titillating scenes with ample nudity. Given the fact that "X," one of the best horror movies of 2022, follows a group of people setting out to make a pornographic film, it's only natural for there to be a nude scene or two. Brittany Snow, who plays adult film performer Bobby-Lynne Parker in the horror flick, bares all to tell this story of what sex means to different generations effectively.

Snow spoke with Business Insider in March 2022 about playing such a sexually explicit role. Thanks to the work of the production's intimacy coordinator and director, Ti West, the actor mentioned being "very, very comfortable" with what was asked of her. "I think there was a lot of confidence in terms of our characters, and a part of the nudity came from that confidence that our characters exuded," the actor stated. "It almost felt necessary, because not only were we filming a porn, but our characters would've been so comfortable with that."

Nude scenes in film can often feel forced and gratuitous. However, sex is intrinsically linked to "X," from the young people wanting to show off their bodies to the villain, Pearl (Mia Goth), who still wants to explore her sexuality even in her advanced age. According to Snow, nudity was something to get over to feel more comfortable in her own skin. As she put it, "At a certain point you get this and you're like, 'Screw it, let's do it.'"

It's a well-worn trope in the horror genre that characters who have sex end up dying. In many cases, the "final girl" in these movies is the only chaste or virgin character. The trope can easily be interpreted as puritanical in a way, almost telling viewers that having pre-marital sex will lead to terrifying consequences. "X" really ups the ante on this idea because it's not like the characters are some horny camp counselors. They're adult entertainment performers, with sex as a concept permeating throughout everything, including Pearl's motivations. That idea was appealing to Brittany Snow.

In 2022, the actor was also interviewed by W Magazine about her role in "X," and she spoke about how she wanted to do the film because it was so much more than just another horror flick with nude scenes. "X" commented on the horror genre as a whole: "It was poking fun at the idea that people die when they have sex in horror movies: this whole movie's about sex, so is everyone gonna die?" Interestingly enough, it's adult film performer Maxine (Mia Goth) who survives until the very end, upending expectations that anyone who enjoys sex must die in a horror film. 

The older Pearl could even be seen as a stand-in for society; she wants to have sex but still degrades the adult performers for having it. Snow brought up the question, "Why do we demean people for owning their sexuality and for being sex-positive?"