Earlier this year, Ti West made his righteous, blood-soaked movie comeback with the release of A24's X. The farm-bound slasher comedy not only represented new heights for the director, who hadn't made a film in six years, but also the horror genre at large. Helmed by Nymphomaniac star Mia Goth, as well as familiar faces Jenna Ortega and Kid Cudi, the film follows a group of actors who set out to shoot an adult film on a remote Texas farm, only to discover that their elderly hosts aren't exactly the hospitable type. What starts out as a raunchy period flick soon evolves into an all-out gorefest, while still never losing sight of its sharp satirical edge.
Although X was generally well received by fans and critics alike, even garnering a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it was somewhat swept under the rug as a fun yet typical entry into the A24 horror canon upon release. As critic Abby Olcese wrote of the film, "'X' is plenty of fun; it also feels like a trifle that could easily have been much more." X is biting, clever, and refreshingly entertaining, but it doesn't proclaim to be anything earth-shattering. However, in today's world of increasingly bleak, intellectualized horror, that might not be such a bad thing.
If X turned some heads but fell short on blowing minds when it came out, it was no less than a shock to hear that West had written and shot an entire prequel to the film in secret. That prequel is what we now know as Pearl - co-written by Goth and West at the height of the pandemic, right after X wrapped shooting, the film serves as its predecessor's haunting technicolor underbelly. Deconstructing the mythology of Pearl, a villain we got to see, but not hear a lot from in the original film, the prequel is basically the antithesis of all things X. Perhaps that's what makes both films stand out even more - they show just how powerful the many sides of horror can be, when they're working together and elevating each other to new heights. It's impossible to see a future where X and Pearl aren't viewed alongside each other, putting horror anthologies on a refreshing path forward.
A Star Is Born
One of the most heartening features of X is its riveting ensemble cast that makes for nothing short of a spectacle. Taking on the roles of both Maxine and Pearl within the film, Goth herself is a microcosm of X's expansive nature - one moment, a young, aspiring star, the next, a wizened psycho-killer. West makes it clear that there are certainly parallels between Pearl and Maxine, but, in the film, we only have Pearl's word to rely on. Seeing her story fleshed out in the chilling prequel only makes X that much more uncanny and important-feeling.
Of course, both of these films have also fleshed out Goth herself as a momentous star on the rise. X and Pearl have allowed us to see just how multi-talented the up-and-coming actress is, and how actors can continue to subvert what's expected of them within the horror genre. It will be fascinating to rewatch these two films together in light of what Goth does next. For now, she is giving the entire practice of genre acting a new name.
Two Different Types of Horror
Right from the start, X is neither subtle nor coy about what kind of movie it is. We open on the farm, not when the majority of the film takes place, but, presumably, the next day, to a complete, nightmarish massacre. To a certain extent, X relies on these types of gimmicks of the slasher genre to keep it going, but what gives the film a real edge is its critical degree of self-awareness. With the campy atmosphere, comically out-there premise, and prominent late-'70s aesthetics, it's not hard to see that X is both a slasher while simultaneously making fun of slashers. The gratuity of the bloodshed is horrific because it's so over-the-top - or vice versa.
Meanwhile, just from watching the trailer for Pearl, one can tell that it operates on a whole other plane of horror. Indeed, despite the admirable amount of violence that still transpires, what's truly terrifying about the movie are its psychological elements. The last shot of the film, along with Pearl's breathtaking (literally) six-minute-long monologue, is truly unforgettable, especially contrasted with the film's sunny technicolor hues. Together, X and Pearl are the perfect cocktail of the internal and external coming to complement each other within horror. They both provide pulse, depth, and aptitude to the shadow of the other.
History of Movies in the Making
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Watching X and Pearl sort of feels like a crash-course on cinema itself, a level of expertise that few other horror films can attest to. While other modern horror films aim towards this historicizing only to the parody level, the history of movies is written into Pearl and X's stories at large. It is as though, through these two disparate, yet deeply connected tales, audiences get to see just how cinema has changed and will never change at the same time.
Pearl takes place in 1918, at the height of the influenza epidemic that has left many restless and paranoid; the "pictures" are Pearl's only real solace in life, but she is soon forced to learn how they've become corrupted - and might corrupt her in return. Meanwhile, X toys with similar themes of stardom, especially as it relates to sexual liberation on film, but over sixty years later, as porn has become a commercialized phenomenon. West's anticipated sequel to X, Maxxxine, will continue this trend of exploring cinema's evolution, this time in the '80s during the burgeoning era of home video. It's clear that, through X and Pearl, and now, ostensibly, Maxxxine, West isn't just creating individual films - he's re-invisioning the history of Hollywood and inviting us along for the ride. He couldn't have picked a better setup, or more of an iconic character, to pull us in with.