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Mia Goth. © 2022. A24 and Little Lamb. Directed by Ti West. Experience the X-traordinary origin story!
After the premiere of X, this film got announced right away which was a surprise, and watching the film itself was indeed a surprise. This is legit one of the best performances I've seen all year and my boy Ti West is still thriving. I can't believe two films in the X universe were released in the same year and yet alone, it was filmed right after the first one. This is an interesting film that you may want to watch X for context but as a solo film, it's a watch. Join me in this review and let's explore the world of X and weird crazy shit. Plot: Trapped on her family's isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Hoping for a more glamorous life, Pearl's ambitions, temptations, and repressions all collide to horrific effect. The biggest takeaway from this film is Mia Goth's performance. She was amazing in this film and terrifying too. This is definitely her best film yet and she really carried this film. This film is basically a character study on Pearl and I really liked how they explored each part of her emotional path and why she is acting so weird. Her complications with her mother are clear from the start and you start to care about her. You want her to be happy and live a better life but at the same time, you want her to lose that goal. The story wants the audience to be split and choose sides and I love that. That's so great about this film and it gives audiences clues on what she will do next and what actions lead to the next scene or even lead to X. Her character was well written and the long 6-minute monologue is Oscar-worthy. The supporting cast was pretty good as well. The mother's performance was pretty great and I like how the actress wants the audience to hate her character so much yet still have some sympathy for her actions to protect Pearl. The projectionist was also good and the themes of this film really connect to the entire X trilogy and Pearl's journey. I really like how these two films really show how the progression of adult films really grows from just straight up you know what to somewhat art house cinema. By the time the third film comes out, it goes into the modern adult film industry and criticizes the industry as a whole. I really like this overall theme and social commentary. Few filmmakers like Ti West and Sean Baker touch on those subjects and it creates a whole new perspective on it. Besides that, the directing is strong as always. I'm loving Ti West's style and he manages to make his films feel like mid-budget films which is insane since it cost only one million dollars. The cinematography is great. There are a lot of creative angles and shots in the film and the coloring of this film is just so beautiful. The set design and costumes are well made, especially for a 1 million-dollar film and the horror is pretty good. Try not to make your expectations high with the horror and slasher style but it's there because of Pearl. There are some scenes that might distribute you and that's great because the character is going down the drain and by the end of the film, it's legit pretty terrifying. As an A24 film, it's very strong within its character story and amazing production. But I still have some nitpicks as well. There are story elements that really didn't work for me that well or clicked with me. The side plot with the projectionist wasn't that strong. Their relationship was weak and it didn't go anywhere. The father wasn't strong as I hope for. While his performance was small and good, his character didn't add much to the end result of the story. I wished they touched on Howard a little bit more and what he did after what Pearl did to her parents. The film's pacing was a bit slow in some parts and I wished they could've added more within the dynamic between Pearl and his mother. Also maybe include a prelude of Pearl and her boyfriend Howard. I will admit My expectations were a little too high but this film still really worked because of Mia Goth's performance and Ti West's directing. While X is still by far his best film yet, this film is still very solid and delivers what the previous film worked well onto this film. Overall, this film was very strong in its presentation and character storytelling. I really loved Mia Goth's performance and solid direction from Ti West. Still unbelievable that this film was made for 1 million dollars and it proves that sometimes, Hollywood is paying a shit ton of money. Great lead performance, amazing production, and great thrilling build-ups. It's definitely an A24 film and it was worth it watching this film in theaters. I cannot wait for the third film to complete the X trilogy. Now Playing in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "B+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
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