[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for X.]There’s a lot of great set pieces inTi West’sX, but one of the best of the bunch is undoubtedly the alligator payoff that killsBrittany Snow’s Bobby-Lynne.
The moment we see the alligator creeping close to Maxine (Mia Goth) while she takes a swim early on in the film, you just know it’s coming back to get someone. The alligator essentially operates as an extension ofX’s brilliant opening. That first scene reveals the layout of the crime scene, clearly showing you where certain characters end up. The alligator build gives the viewer another piece of that puzzle, and after spending much of the film on edge waiting to see who’s going to come face to face with the alligator, it happens.
While onCollider Ladies NightcelebratingX’s SXSW premiere and theatrical release, Snow explained what it was like completing that stunt scene:
“It was a process. Weirdly enough, there was death by alligator rehearsals, and [it’s] something that I cherish because it’s on my iPhone now of me getting eaten by a fake alligator over and over and over again. It hurts! I mean, the teeth are not squishy. They are hard teeth! And making sure the physicality of rolling was something that I had to kind of learn how to do, too. I’m originally from Florida, so death by alligator, I feel like I represented where I’m from accurately. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I felt very proud that that was my death scene.”
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It came as a bit of a shock to hear how much practical work was involved because I just assumed much of that had to be completed in post. But it turns out, that was not the case and Snow had to work with a few different types of fake alligators on set. She explained:
“There was different types of alligators. There was one that was going to eat me, there was one that was going to roll me, and then the stunt double that actually did the super rolling. But yes, it was mechanical alligator work.”
Looking for more on Snow’s experience makingX? There’s loads more from where this came from! Be sure to check out our uncut Collider Ladies Night conversation in podcast form below to hear all about some of the key moments in her career that paved the fromAmerican Dreamsto joining the cast ofXand preparing to direct her first feature film.
