The “X” prequel film starring Mia Goth is set in 1919, with Goth’s title character dreaming of Hollywood stardom. What she settles for is watching a “dirty movie” backstage with her projectionist beau. “Peep like Pearl,” the official “Pearl: An ‘X’ Origin Story” Twitter page reads. “For your weekend viewing pleasure, enjoy this X-rated archive of original stag films, the earliest and dirtiest roots of American pornography.” Lead star Goth recently told W Magazine that the pornographic elements in both “Pearl” and “X” rooted the sensual slashers in a certain layer of humanity, calling back to the basic instincts of sex, birth, and death. “I wanted to use the sexuality that’s portrayed in the film to humanize these characters,” Goth explained.

Writer-director West echoed the sentiment earlier this year, telling IndieWire’s Eric Kohn that horror and porn have always had a “symbiotic relationship” onscreen. Related ‘Close’: Behind the Scenes of the Most Heartbreaking Coming-of-Age Story of the Year Ari Aster’s ‘Disappointment Blvd.’ with Joaquin Phoenix Is Now ‘Beau Is Afraid’ – See the First Poster Related 24 Famously Queer and Homoerotic Horror Movies, from ‘Psycho’ to ‘Hellraiser’ New Movies: Release Calendar for December 23, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films
“They’re both always outsiders,” West said of the genres. “I wanted to take the trope of sex and violence that is typically lowbrow and try to do something crafty with it. Having never made a slasher movie, which are mostly people getting murdered, I wanted to do something a little unexpected that isn’t just people getting killed.” West is helming final trilogy installment “MaXXXine,” a sequel to “X” set in 1980s Los Angeles. Lead star Goth also has a screenwriting credit on “Pearl,” while she will be executive producing “MaXXXine” with A24, Jacob Jaffke, and writer-director West producing along with Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss. The film issued a casting call on social media for contestants to submit their best reenactment of the final standoff between Pearl and Maxine, both played by Goth, in “X.” West previously told IndieWire’s Eric Kohn that the third and final film will be “about how home video has affected people” in the 1980s. “I’m very proud of these,” West stated. “They’re super different and very out-of-nowhere. You won’t need to see one to see the other but they do complement each other.” He added, “I’m trying to build a world out of all this, like people do these days. You can’t make a slasher movie without a bunch of sequels.” Check out the sneak peek at “Pearl” below.

For your weekend viewing pleasure, enjoy this X-rated archive of original stag films, the earliest and dirtiest roots of American pornography → https://t.co/rCo14pNmQ1 pic.twitter.com/StCFPCegLe — Pearl: An ‘X’ Origin Story (@xmovie) September 16, 2022 Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.