"Pearl" is a 2022 American horror film directed by Ti West and co-written by West and Mia Goth, who also stars as the title character.
The film serves as a prequel to "X" (2022) and is the second installment in the X film series. It tells the origin story of the title villain, Pearl, whose fervent aspiration to become a movie star led her to commit violent acts on her family's Texas homestead in 1918.
The film was released in theaters in the United States on September 16, 2022, by A24. It grossed over $10 million and received highly positive reviews from critics, with Goth's performance receiving wide praise. A direct sequel to "X", titled "MaXXXine", is scheduled to be released on July 5, 2024.
The plot revolves around Pearl, a young woman living with her German immigrant parents on their Texas homestead during the influenza pandemic in 1918. Pearl's father is infirm and paralyzed, and her domineering mother, Ruth, insists that she help care for both him and the farm. Pearl, longing for a more exciting life, is captivated by the films she sees at the local cinema and aspires to become a chorus girl. However, Pearl also shows signs of psychopathy; she kills farm animals and physically abuses her father.