Ti West’s latest horror film X is getting a prequel titled Pearl, and from the looks of the latter's teaser, it will be a very different movie compared to X. The short tease, which was featured after the credits in X, gives a glimpse into the prequel. Set in 1918, the film will take place nearly 60 years before the events in X, featuring Pearl as a young woman during World War I. The prequel will delve into the moments that eventually led Pearl to turn into a killer.
In X, Mia Goth portrays both Maxine and Pearl, symbolizing youth and beauty, yet also aging and mortality. In the prequel, Mia Goth (A Cure for Wellness) will portray a young Pearl, who is taking refuge with her family in the same cabin that she and Howard use to commit murders in X. Taking place in 1979, X serves as an homage to 1970s exploitation horror. Following suit, Pearl will likely serve as an homage to the beginning of cinematic horror in the late 1910s and early 1920s.
Horror movies, and movies in general, are a reaction to the times. During the 1970s, issues ranging from the energy crisis to soaring crime rates were at an all-time high. Notably, the 1970s were marked by general social uncertainty and unrest. Virtually everything in Ti West’s X is a nod to the 1970s, from its exploitive content to simply the camerawork and overall grittiness of the film. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, soundless horror films of early German Expressionism focused on World War I themes such as terror and paranoia. Since Pearl takes place during the height of the war, these infamous World War I themes will likely be a massive part of the film.
When describing the prequel, Ti West referred to Pearl as “a melodrama meets the Technicolor style of Mary Poppins... made as a demented Disney movie” (via knotfest.com). Since the beginning of time, films have been used as a way to escape from reality. Especially during both World War I and II, silly and non-serious films were made for this escapism, even if it was just for a couple of hours. Although the first Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, didn’t come out until 1937, for West to compare Pearl to a Disney movie is rather intriguing. For sure, killing in Disney movies is tame, and the likely gore-filled bloodbath that Pearl will transpire will not be so tame. By what exactly West means by comparing Pearl to a Disney film is up for interpretation, but either way, a look into Pearl’s switch from an ordinary girl to a full-fledged killer will be fascinating.
The trailer for Pearl didn’t give too much away, but if there is one thing about X, although it is a blood-filled movie, it is also a sad story about aging. If Ti West’s Pearl is anything like its predecessor, it will have much more heart than just gore. The film will touch on who Pearl was as a typical person before she became a murderer.