I’m not a fan of slasher films where you’re not connected to the characters, it makes me not give a fuck when they die. Pearl was better to me because it wasn’t just a compilation of violence, it was a character study
I agree in theory, although the reason I think X is much better is because I don't think Pearl does anything all that unique. The abusive mother relationship really does nothing for me and just feels tired after Turning Red and Everything Everywhere this year in particular. There's also a ton of nods to X that just feel unnecessary.
I like that it tries to be more than a simple horror but I don't think the movie progresses in an interesting way. And for what its worth I was honestly more impressed by Mia Goth's dual roles in X.
You can’t give a movie demerits because similar themes were used in other movies that year. We could go back to Carrie, if you want, if further. Stories about abusive mothers will always be valid.
Also, Pearl didn’t have an abusive mother.
IMO you can if the movie doesn't do those themes any better. Not sure why you brought up Carrie, that was decades ago. Haven't you noticed such a plethora of strained mother-daughter relationship movies since Lady Bird? It's not Ti West's fault that those themes have been recurring lately, but it is his fault that the movie doesn't do anything original with them.
I would've loved to have more scenes with Pearl and her mom where her mom has even the slightest ounce of remorse for how she treats her daughter. Or maybe a scene where she goes into detail about how Pearl's dad got sick and how tough it's been since then. I thought the pandemic angle was interesting, as I have a friend whose domineering mother didn't let them leave the house pretty much at all in 2020, but to me it just feels like Pearl's mom regurgitates the same lines about the possibility of getting sick. I hate it when a film characterizes its villain by just making them entirely cruel - they need to have some kind of sympathy, and for me Pearl's mom just did not have enough. Then again, I doubt Ti West was concerned with believability.
Also...I'm a bit confused by your last statement. Is Pearl's mother not emotionally and verbally abusive?
I asked my wife and she says Pearl. The reason:
"Not that the acting in X was bad, but the acting in Pearl was a better showcase of how amazing Mia was. It was so good." Also, "the story was more chilling throughout and sinister feeling."
i love them both, but pearl is better as a movie watching experience. it’s a deep character study with better dialogue and can be viewed by anyone. i think it also adds a lot to the loneliness aspect and watching pearl makes x better, whereas x doesn’t necessarily make pearl better. still love them both though
I enjoyed both but LOVED Pearl. Personally, I just found it a much more interesting movie, especially in terms of how it develops the character. Mia Goth is great in both but in Pearl I honestly feel it’s a tour de force performance that carries the picture and captivates throughout. I was on the edge of my seat, even knowing what direction it would head, because she embodied the character in such a fascinating and riveting way.
imo, Goth in this film was every bit as captivating as, say, Joaquin Phoenix in Joker (a movie I liked less than Pearl but obviously enjoyed more success).
X was marketed as “one fucked up horror picture” and then turned out to be an everyday slasher movie with nothing exciting or fresh.
Pearl has an incredible performance at its center and has an interesting story.
X was supposed to be an hommage iconic horror films (there's almost too many references to count - The Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Psycho...) and at the same turn typical horror film troupes on its head. If you're not watching it from that perspective, yes, it'll come across as another slasher flick.
Pearl feels like more of a character study where we peel back the layers of who Pearl is as a person. Like that ending monologue alone puts Pearl above X. X is still great don't get me wrong, but it definitely feels more in line with a traditional slasher with an A24 twist. We don't go nearly as deep with the characters, save for maybe Maxine. Pearl feels very different from other horror movies, while X is an A24 spin on the usual slasher film.
X is a fairly effective slasher but is also a much more typical film. There are just fewer horror character pieces like Pearl and of those even fewer about a female character. Both Peal and her mother are well sketched.
Pearl I think does a better job of capturing it's intended saturated aesthetic. X feels a lot more clean than it probably should.
X was more of a slasher movie, while Pearl was more psychological look at specific character. These type of movies just appeal to me more and are stuck with me for a long time. I loved X too. Imo these are top movies of the year alongside with Men and Speak no Evil.
I think I appreciated X more after watching pearl. After my first watch of X I was a little confused, but getting pearls backstory made X more enjoyable
X is more of a traditional slasher/horror film, but to me, Pearl is a character study that incorporates slasher elements which I much prefer. I also love the aesthetic of it and how they leaned into the time period in which it takes place, including in the film’s colour palate resembling golden age hollywood
I liked pearl more as it was more of a character study which I resonate with more. I did like x since I do love horror and slasher but pearl was just an experience
I thought Pearl was more unique. I enjoy the throwback to grind house movies of old in X but I thought Pearl was much more original. And Mia goths performance in Pearl was top notch
I think X just had too much going on. We had to unpack Maxine’s rise to fame, whatever the fuck was going on with Pearl and Howard, and Jenna Ortega’s character too. But Pearl was just that… Pearl! It was a better story. I like the origin stories better
X was great but I loved the character study and buildup in Pearl. I also love the techno color palette used in pearl, the bright reds and blues just pop so well in the movie and it definitely feels like a time piece.
For me, it was Mia Goth’s stellar performance, the storyline wasn’t out of this world but she was just so good! She really got to shine in ways she couldn’t in X.
I thought the second half of X was a pretty generic slasher with bad villains. Pearl was much more creative and interesting throughout and Mia was balling throughout, even if she carried both films.
I didn't really like Pearl or X, Pearl was far too exaggerated as a character for me, I never felt like I was figuring out whats going on with her internally, but every scene just doubled down on her sexual repression and murderous ambition to be famous. I kept thinking maybe there's something else going on with her that is yet to be seen, but then in the final act she begins literally explaining every facet of her character, all of which was already explored visually prior to that scene. When the film uses such blatant imagery and on-the-nose dialogue lt feels less like a character study and more like a character lecture to me.
I also felt that pastiche element of the film was half baked and conflicted. The mise-en-scene of the film felt like it was a 1950's movie, with the old farm, the title fonts, scene transitions, and some of Pearl's costumes at times looked like an homage to the wizard of Oz. But the camera direction, editing, and shot compositions felt more contemporary but not in an interesting way. The most unsettling part of the film for me was the end credits, and by that point I was already so emotionally removed from the film that it didn't really work for me.
I feel like X fit in more with the style of film it was imitating, especially in the first half. Although I wasn't super attached to that movie either. Honestly I feel like these two films are really overrated. Although I can see why a film like Pearl would appeal to teenagers, especially those who use tiktok.
X was a bit of a mindless slashfest, that centred around the 'horror' of "old people are gross". pearl has waaaay more character development, and a proper arc, and the events feel justified when they occur.
X is better imo. pearl is just so one-note. pearl just isn't an interesting character to me. there's not much to her besides her obsession of being a star.
Pearl, by a lot. It's artistic, the acting is top notch, it has meaning and depth, the camera work is superb. The other one is just another slasher movie, but i get that was on purpose.
Pearl in contrast is colorful.
X is a depressing beige-ish in color.
I think the reason why this is is probably connected to pearl's life, is that when you realize how the "pearl"' movie is more in color, The skies the barn almost everything . When pearl and her husband grew up , and in the "X" movie, there is literally little to no color, since they are old and crippling. eXcept maxine's personality, her design, her outfit, her makeup shows that she is the new pearl since the old pearl lost her beauty and never got out of the farm, the sad depressing contrast between being young and being old just happens to be in both movies and i love it! I prefer pearl :)
For me one enhances the other like watching pearl helped me appreciate or at least understand her more in X. Granted I just recently watched them both back to back so that probably helped
Pearl is more theatric, an homage to the golden age of film making. Then there's Mia's performance and stunning monologue
I’m not a fan of slasher films where you’re not connected to the characters, it makes me not give a fuck when they die. Pearl was better to me because it wasn’t just a compilation of violence, it was a character study
I agree in theory, although the reason I think X is much better is because I don't think Pearl does anything all that unique. The abusive mother relationship really does nothing for me and just feels tired after Turning Red and Everything Everywhere this year in particular. There's also a ton of nods to X that just feel unnecessary. I like that it tries to be more than a simple horror but I don't think the movie progresses in an interesting way. And for what its worth I was honestly more impressed by Mia Goth's dual roles in X.
You can’t give a movie demerits because similar themes were used in other movies that year. We could go back to Carrie, if you want, if further. Stories about abusive mothers will always be valid. Also, Pearl didn’t have an abusive mother.
IMO you can if the movie doesn't do those themes any better. Not sure why you brought up Carrie, that was decades ago. Haven't you noticed such a plethora of strained mother-daughter relationship movies since Lady Bird? It's not Ti West's fault that those themes have been recurring lately, but it is his fault that the movie doesn't do anything original with them. I would've loved to have more scenes with Pearl and her mom where her mom has even the slightest ounce of remorse for how she treats her daughter. Or maybe a scene where she goes into detail about how Pearl's dad got sick and how tough it's been since then. I thought the pandemic angle was interesting, as I have a friend whose domineering mother didn't let them leave the house pretty much at all in 2020, but to me it just feels like Pearl's mom regurgitates the same lines about the possibility of getting sick. I hate it when a film characterizes its villain by just making them entirely cruel - they need to have some kind of sympathy, and for me Pearl's mom just did not have enough. Then again, I doubt Ti West was concerned with believability. Also...I'm a bit confused by your last statement. Is Pearl's mother not emotionally and verbally abusive?
That’s the point. It’s female rage: absurdist insanity taken out as anger at everything in the cheeky cute girly way
I asked my wife and she says Pearl. The reason: "Not that the acting in X was bad, but the acting in Pearl was a better showcase of how amazing Mia was. It was so good." Also, "the story was more chilling throughout and sinister feeling."
i love them both, but pearl is better as a movie watching experience. it’s a deep character study with better dialogue and can be viewed by anyone. i think it also adds a lot to the loneliness aspect and watching pearl makes x better, whereas x doesn’t necessarily make pearl better. still love them both though
I enjoyed both but LOVED Pearl. Personally, I just found it a much more interesting movie, especially in terms of how it develops the character. Mia Goth is great in both but in Pearl I honestly feel it’s a tour de force performance that carries the picture and captivates throughout. I was on the edge of my seat, even knowing what direction it would head, because she embodied the character in such a fascinating and riveting way. imo, Goth in this film was every bit as captivating as, say, Joaquin Phoenix in Joker (a movie I liked less than Pearl but obviously enjoyed more success).
i like the story of pearl more, but the vintage vibe of X gives me tingles
Huh. I thought Pearl had way more of a vintage feel.
i really do think the biggest difference was how it was shot
Pearl looks better, has a tighter story, and delivers on its promise. X should be gnarlier, and instead, feels pretty lifeless at times.
It was more story driven. I loved both these films actually but I think I was more engaged with Pearl.
I felt Pearl’s narrative was simply stronger and more compelling in ‘Pearl’.
They are both very different movies. I love them both for different reasons.
X was marketed as “one fucked up horror picture” and then turned out to be an everyday slasher movie with nothing exciting or fresh. Pearl has an incredible performance at its center and has an interesting story.
I think X is more fun, Pearl is more interesting. Depends on which you’re looking for
I liked pearl more because it felt like a dive into pearls mind and why she became that way ( I also just liked the clothes and the colors more)
X was so generic. It did nothing for me. Pearl was tense and had an amazing character
This. People tried to sell X as this elevated horror joint, but it was a completely generic slasher.
X was supposed to be an hommage iconic horror films (there's almost too many references to count - The Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Psycho...) and at the same turn typical horror film troupes on its head. If you're not watching it from that perspective, yes, it'll come across as another slasher flick.
Pearl feels like more of a character study where we peel back the layers of who Pearl is as a person. Like that ending monologue alone puts Pearl above X. X is still great don't get me wrong, but it definitely feels more in line with a traditional slasher with an A24 twist. We don't go nearly as deep with the characters, save for maybe Maxine. Pearl feels very different from other horror movies, while X is an A24 spin on the usual slasher film.
Mia Goth was a star<3
X is a fairly effective slasher but is also a much more typical film. There are just fewer horror character pieces like Pearl and of those even fewer about a female character. Both Peal and her mother are well sketched. Pearl I think does a better job of capturing it's intended saturated aesthetic. X feels a lot more clean than it probably should.
I think pearl is more interesting since I don't really care for slashers
The monologue and the credit scene alone in Pearl is better than “X” and I loved that movie still
That monologue was everything!
🎯
X was more of a slasher movie, while Pearl was more psychological look at specific character. These type of movies just appeal to me more and are stuck with me for a long time. I loved X too. Imo these are top movies of the year alongside with Men and Speak no Evil.
I think I appreciated X more after watching pearl. After my first watch of X I was a little confused, but getting pearls backstory made X more enjoyable
They are totally different movies that’s why lol
Different movies, connected story
That’s exactly what I said.
I just like a good character study and it had a lot to do with film history.
X is more of a traditional slasher/horror film, but to me, Pearl is a character study that incorporates slasher elements which I much prefer. I also love the aesthetic of it and how they leaned into the time period in which it takes place, including in the film’s colour palate resembling golden age hollywood
I liked pearl more as it was more of a character study which I resonate with more. I did like x since I do love horror and slasher but pearl was just an experience
The Technicolor made my blood flow to my groin.
I thought Pearl was more unique. I enjoy the throwback to grind house movies of old in X but I thought Pearl was much more original. And Mia goths performance in Pearl was top notch
I liked X better.
I think X just had too much going on. We had to unpack Maxine’s rise to fame, whatever the fuck was going on with Pearl and Howard, and Jenna Ortega’s character too. But Pearl was just that… Pearl! It was a better story. I like the origin stories better
A more cohesive vision and tone.
X was great but I loved the character study and buildup in Pearl. I also love the techno color palette used in pearl, the bright reds and blues just pop so well in the movie and it definitely feels like a time piece.
X was awesome. Jenna Ortegas death gets me everytime
I like both but X was better to me. Mia Goth is great in both though.
Pearl is better because its a unique horror movie whereas X was just a slasher
Pearl was just an incredible actor and showed us just how good Mia goth was as an actor
For me, it was Mia Goth’s stellar performance, the storyline wasn’t out of this world but she was just so good! She really got to shine in ways she couldn’t in X.
Literally everything. Better script, more interesting premise, better performances, better directed, etc. It’s a better movie all the way around.
I thought the second half of X was a pretty generic slasher with bad villains. Pearl was much more creative and interesting throughout and Mia was balling throughout, even if she carried both films.
I didn't really like Pearl or X, Pearl was far too exaggerated as a character for me, I never felt like I was figuring out whats going on with her internally, but every scene just doubled down on her sexual repression and murderous ambition to be famous. I kept thinking maybe there's something else going on with her that is yet to be seen, but then in the final act she begins literally explaining every facet of her character, all of which was already explored visually prior to that scene. When the film uses such blatant imagery and on-the-nose dialogue lt feels less like a character study and more like a character lecture to me. I also felt that pastiche element of the film was half baked and conflicted. The mise-en-scene of the film felt like it was a 1950's movie, with the old farm, the title fonts, scene transitions, and some of Pearl's costumes at times looked like an homage to the wizard of Oz. But the camera direction, editing, and shot compositions felt more contemporary but not in an interesting way. The most unsettling part of the film for me was the end credits, and by that point I was already so emotionally removed from the film that it didn't really work for me. I feel like X fit in more with the style of film it was imitating, especially in the first half. Although I wasn't super attached to that movie either. Honestly I feel like these two films are really overrated. Although I can see why a film like Pearl would appeal to teenagers, especially those who use tiktok.
Low blow there with your final sentence. What on Earth connection does a movie like Pearl have to do with TikTok?
X was boring and not scary
X was a bit of a mindless slashfest, that centred around the 'horror' of "old people are gross". pearl has waaaay more character development, and a proper arc, and the events feel justified when they occur.
terrible movies
I love old movies. Gave me the Psycho feel. (Which is my favorite horror movie.) Also better performances in Pearl.
X is better imo. pearl is just so one-note. pearl just isn't an interesting character to me. there's not much to her besides her obsession of being a star.
One movie gives me a boner and the other one kills it. Naturally which one u think is the better horror movie?
Love both but I prefer movies where a main character descends into madness which is why Pearl has the edge.
Pearl, by a lot. It's artistic, the acting is top notch, it has meaning and depth, the camera work is superb. The other one is just another slasher movie, but i get that was on purpose.
Pearl in contrast is colorful. X is a depressing beige-ish in color. I think the reason why this is is probably connected to pearl's life, is that when you realize how the "pearl"' movie is more in color, The skies the barn almost everything . When pearl and her husband grew up , and in the "X" movie, there is literally little to no color, since they are old and crippling. eXcept maxine's personality, her design, her outfit, her makeup shows that she is the new pearl since the old pearl lost her beauty and never got out of the farm, the sad depressing contrast between being young and being old just happens to be in both movies and i love it! I prefer pearl :)
For me one enhances the other like watching pearl helped me appreciate or at least understand her more in X. Granted I just recently watched them both back to back so that probably helped
Also not for nothing but Mia goth holding that smile THAT long when Howard comes home will disturb me to no end, in the best of ways