pearl (ti west, 2022)

Prequel to X (you could even call it an Origin Story) that shows what the old woman in the first film was like in her younger days, filmed simultaneously. As often happens with prequels, there is some disagreement about the proper order to watch the two films, chronologically with Pearl first, or in release order with Pearl second. I saw them in release order, for what it's worth. (And of course, a third movie in the series has since been released.)

Pearl shares a style and attitude with the first film, and I thought it mattered that I knew who Pearl was because I watched this second, but my daughter, who knew nothing about the series, didn't seem to mind that she was coming to the character cold. The horror is once again extreme ... this is not a movie for the faint-hearted. At this point it is clear that writer-director Ti West and writer-star Mia Goth think they are offering more than pure horror. The movies are a character study. But for all of the stylishness, it's Goth's acting that raises the film. Her long monologue near the end is masterful.

no