Following the surprise success of X, Ti West and Mia Goth return to the slasher genre with Pearl. A prequel to X, Pearl serves as an origin story for the film's villain. Featuring a stellar performance from Goth and an unhinged story that will keep fans at the edge of their seats, Pearl is a worthy entry to the genre.
Slasher fans will surely love the film, rejoicing in its balls-to-the-wall approach and Goth's gleefully demented performance. And, should they feel the need to stick with Pearl's vibe and style, they should check out these other movies that share the same DNA.
X (2022)
Available To Rent On Amazon Prime
Ti West made an impression earlier this year with X, also starring Mia Goth. The plot centers on a group looking to shoot a pornographic film in an elderly couple's secluded rural farmhouse. However, their ambitions soon become a nightmare when they become targets of an unidentified killer.
X shares an obvious connection to Pearl, as both films feature the same character and actress. Beyond that, they share lingering thematic threads, including cinema's influence on people's lives, complicated sexual and gender dynamics, and the abstract and ultimately futile desire for Hollywood fame.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Available To Stream On Amazon Prime & Paramount+
The traditional slasher formula gets represented to a tee in 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Centering on a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals, the film introduced the now-iconic character of Leatherface, one of cinema's most enduring villains.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a clear influence in West's X. The film also shares similarities with Pearl, including the Texas setting, the isolated farmhouse, and the distinctive vibe of small-town dread present in every scene. Pearl might feature a less striking villain than The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but it delivers genuine thrills that make it just as horrifying.
Saint Maud (2019)
Available To Stream On Paramount+
Psychological horror can be just as terrifying as a slasher film, and Saint Maud is the perfect example. The film stars Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle, and it follows a hospice nurse and devout Catholic who becomes obsessed with a former dancer under her care.
Saint Maud rests squarely on Morfydd and Ehle's capable shoulders, and the actresses go all-in on their performances. Featuring a disturbing mix of body horror to accompany its religious themes and a blurry representation of fantasy and reality, Saint Maud is an unnerving experience that will give fans of Pearl the ride of a lifetime.
Hard Candy (2005)
Available To Stream On Amazon Prime
Before Juno, Elliot Page made a splash in the cinematic scene with his performance in Hard Candy. Co-starring Patrick Wilson, the story focuses on Hayley, a vigilante who traps and physically and psychologically tortures a man she suspects of being a predator.
Like Pearl, Hard Candy features a complex antihero as the protagonist, whose actions disturb but fascinate the audience. Despite featuring minimum gore, Hard Candy isn't an easy watch; the film understands that imagination is the audience's greatest power, leaving it to them to draw their conclusions about every situation unfolding on screen.
The Final Girls (2015)
Available To Rent On Amazon Prime
The enduring final girl trope gets subverted in 2015's comedy-horror The Final Girls. Starring Taissa Farmiga and Malin Ackerman, the film centers on a group of high school students who get transported into a 1980s slasher called Camp Bloodbath.
A deliciously meta celebration of classic '80s slashers, The Final Girls is fresh and effective, offering genuine thrills and plenty of heart. Like Pearl, The Final Girls is a love letter to horror cinema that still packs quite a punch, mainly thanks to its sharp and witty script and the performances of its perfect cast.
The Purple Rose Of Cairo (1985)
Available To Rent On Apple TV
Mia Farrow gives a career-best performance in the fantasy romance The Purple Rose of Cairo. The plot centers on Cecilia, a dissatisfied housewife living in Depression-era New Jersey, who finds solace in escapist movies. When the protagonist of one comes to the real world, Cecilia becomes entangled in a whirlwind romance featuring the character and the real-life actor playing him.
The Purple Rose of Cairo features many of Pearl's themes, including a young woman trapped in a frustrating situation and finding comfort in the movies. Unlike Pearl, Cairo employs comedy and fantasy to deal with its lingering sense of gloom, although both films feature a tragic ending in keeping with their general ideas.
House Of Wax (1953)
Available To Rent On Apple TV & Amazon Prime
Many actors have made their horror characters iconic, but few have created as many enduring cinematic figures as the legendary Vincent Price. The performer starred in multiple horror films, with his name becoming synonymous with the genre. In House of Wax, Price plays Professor Henry Jarrod, a disfigured sculptor who kills people and uses their corpses as displays in his destroyed wax museum.
House of Wax and Pearl feature strangely sympathetic villains that audiences still root for despite their heinous crimes. There's an element of tragedy beneath the gore and a longing for a bygone era that makes both films ideal companions for a double feature.
The Hills Run Red (2009)
Available To Rent On Apple TV
One of the most underrated slasher films of the new millennium, The Hills Run Red follows a group of horror fans obsessed with the fictional and seemingly lost film The Hills Run Red. Venturing to a secluded cabin in the woods to search for the last copy, they encounter the killer Babyface, the film's antagonist, who makes them his new prey.
Twisted and terrifying, The Hills Run Red is an ode to '80s slashers. The film exploits fans' relationship with art to deliver its tale of terror, something it has in common with Pearl. The Hills Run Red might be more brutal and clumsier, but it remains effective as a disturbing trip to the movies.
Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Available To Stream On HBO Max
The psychological horror classic Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? turns 60 in 2022. Starring the once-in-a-lifetime combo of Better Davis and Joan Crawford, Baby Jane follows two reclusive sisters, a child vaudevillian star and a former Hollywood actress, whose troubled relationship escalates into tragedy.
Baby Jane and Pearl focus on dissatisfied women with broken Hollywood dreams who, unable to deal with the harsh realities of their lives, sink further into delusion. Both films are showcases for their stars, delivering a unique vibe that expertly blends tension and tragedy while offering valuable commentary about the dangers of female rage.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Available To Rent On Apple TV
David Lynch's neo-noir masterpiece Mulholland Drive is among the finest films of the new millennium. Starring Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, the plot follows a bright and up-and-coming actress who becomes entangled with an amnesiac woman and helps her look for clues about her past.
Like Pearl, Mulholland Drive deals with broken dreams and Hollywood ambitions. However, Mulholland takes a less decisive approach to genre and plot. Surreal and highly symbolic, Mulholland Drive is among the most complex films in Lynch's filmography. The film features a tour-de-force performance by Watts, providing the actress with one of the best roles of her career, much like Pearl does with Mia Goth.