Netflix Bloody R-Rated Prequel Cuts Out A New Horror Franchise
Earlier this summer, Ti West’s blood-soaked trilogy came to an end with MaXXXine. Soon, Netflix subscribers who are eager to learn where it all began can look no further than the streamer, as Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story arrives on August 16. The prequel serves as the origin story of Mia Goth’s elderly psychopath, Pearl, who audiences met back in 2022’s X.
Release Order Vs Franchise Timeline
For those who may find themselves confused, yes, X came out before Pearl but the latter is still the first movie in the trilogy. It doesn’t really matter how you watch them as both films reference one another at various points and tie things together for viewers. At the same time, the titles couldn’t be any more different.
From Celluloid Dreams To Murderous Rampage
Paying homage to the cinematic experience of yesteryear, West’s slasher is a dose of technicolor radiance as the filmmaker plays with the styles of films to follow like two of Alfred Hitchcock’s classics, Vertigo and Rope. Starring Mia Goth as the titular ax-swinger, Pearl follows the life of a young woman living on her family’s farm in Texas in 1918. It’s the final year of World War I and Pearl is waiting patiently for her husband, Howard (Alistair Sewell) to come back home.
In the meantime, Pearl is attempting to achieve her goal of becoming a movie star all while dealing with her strict, no-nonsense German immigrant mother (Tandi Wright) and her paralyzed and unresponsive father (Matthew Sunderland). After her dreams are thwarted and a projectionist (David Corenswet) takes advantage of her, Pearl goes on a murderous rampage, killing everyone who she thinks has caused her harm.
A Big Role For David Corenswet
It’s worth noting that his appearance in Pearl was one of David Corenswet’s breakthroughs in his film career. The actor had previously nabbed roles in shows like Netflix’s The Politician and Hollywood but it was with Ti West’s horror flick, as well as Wanuri Kahiu’s Look Both Ways, that he rose to prominence in film. Now, of course, Corenswet is blowing up the scene as he not only recently appeared in Twisters but will be the new Man of Steel in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s revamping of the DC with his debut coming next year in Superman.
A Prequel To X
Capturing the attention of audiences, the first movie to be released from Ti West’s horror series was 2022’s X. Mia Goth stars in the movie as both Maxine Minx as well as an elderly version of Pearl. The film, which also stars Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, and more, centers around a group of adult film stars who travel to a Texas farm to shoot a movie. Stuck in their religious and by-the-book ways, when Pearl and her husband, Howard (Stephen Ure), discover what’s really going on, they go on a killing spree.
Stream Pearl On Netflix On August 16
The end of the film sees Maxine (Mia Goth) driving away from the massacre on her way to Los Angeles, which is where the story of the recently released MaXXXine starts. It’s there that ghosts from her past will come back to haunt her as she tries to break into the entertainment industry. While Pearl doesn’t make an appearance in MaXXXine, there are plenty of imprints left by the character.
August is going to be a terrific time for horror fans who want to see where the killer old lady’s taste for blood all began when Pearl arrives on Netflix on August 16.
