Without a doubt, 2022 is among the finest years in the annals of terror. One of the new franchises that caught the horror community by storm this year was the first two parts of Ti West’s X trilogy, and this year has seen an excellent combination of returning brands and new horrifying frights. Pearl, performed beautifully by Mia Goth, was introduced to fans in both X and Pearl, and she quickly became the next huge symbol of the genre’s killer icons.
Now, A24 has announced that the next Screening Room event will be a double feature of Pearl and X, in honour of everyone’s favourite cinematic murderer. This Thursday, October 20, at 6 PM ET, is the Screening Room. Fans may see the bloody double feature for only $20 over a nine-hour viewing window. Since Halloween’s return in 2018, the slasher genre has been experiencing something of a renaissance; however, X was the first original film in this sub-genre in a very long time to take the horror community by complete storm.
A hard-R commentary, X cleverly compared the making of horror films to the making of adult films; it also featured extremely compelling characters and a high body count to support its heightened madness. It was a complete surprise, and its popularity was largely due to Goth’s brilliant dual performance as Pearl and Maxine. The movie is less than a year old, but it has one of the best horror characters and performances of all time. Then there’s Pearl, a secretly filmed prequel to X. A24 and West anticipated our undying affection for their insane dream catcher Pearl even before horror fans began to fear her name.
Pearl, in contrast to its forerunner, was not a slasher but rather a deep psychological thriller whose rich, atmospheric Wizard of Oz-inspired nightmare fuel wonderfully supported Pearl’s reign of horror. In addition, Goth delivered yet another stunning performance that was a boon for horror buffs. Somehow, in the same calendar year, West managed to create two genre classics. has expanded the boundaries of what a horror film can be, much like John Carpenter and Mike Flanagan did before him.
This double feature is perfect for anyone who hasn’t yet watched either of these two horror films but is curious about the gory fervour that has surrounded them. West’s MaXXXine, the concluding chapter of his X trilogy, will premiere somewhere in the near future, perhaps next year. Fans of both Goth and West’s horror returns will be eager to see The Screening Room, and tickets are available now on A24’s website.