She's a star!
Ti West’s X trilogy, starring Mia Goth, launches its final installment this weekend.
The first film, titled X, was in March 2022 and received raves for its homage to slasher films of eras past. The original film follows a cast and crew in the late 1970s who gather on a rural farm to make an adult film. Goth appears as a young woman named Maxine.
The month it was released, it was announced that a prequel film, secretly shot back-to-back with the first, was already in post-production.
Pearl, also starring Goth, was released later that year, giving a backstory to the elderly woman who goes on a murderous rampage in X. That film also received critical acclaim, with many praising Goth’s performance.
Shortly before the release of Pearl, West revealed that the franchise would be part of a trilogy, with a third installment set to take place after the events of X.
In MaXXXine, Goth reprises her original role, as she sets out to make it big in Hollywood in the 1980s, all while being targeted by the Night Stalker.
Ahead, here’s how to watch the X movies in release and chronological order.
How to Watch the X Movies in Release Order
- X (2022)
- Pearl (2022)
- MaXXXine (2024)
How to Watch the X Movies in Chronological Order
Pearl (2022)
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If you want to watch the franchise in chronological order, start with Pearl, which serves as a prequel to the original. Starring Goth as the titular character, the film takes place in 1918 and follows a young woman who has high hopes of leaving her small town behind to become a big star ... and who also harbors some homicidal tendencies.
The film was co-written by West and Goth during the production of X, and filming began immediately after filming for X wrapped, using many of the same sets from the first film. Goth received critical acclaim for her role, and the film quickly became an internet sensation, sparking many memes.
X (2022)
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X marks the first film in the trilogy. Set in 1979, the film follows a cast and crew who gather together to make an adult film at an elderly couple's rural Texas home. However, things quickly take a turn when they learn that the couple is homicidal and determined to kill them, one by one.
The film was praised for its twist on the slasher film genre as well as the stellar performances from the cast, including Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow and Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi).
MaXXXine (2024)
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Marking the third film in the trilogy, MaXXXine serves as a sequel to X, following Goth’s character Maxine in the 1980s. Following the tragic events of X, Maxine sets out to start a new life herself in Hollywood, However, darkness quickly follows as she’s targeted by the Night Stalker.
Like the previous films, MaXXXine has a packed cast, which includes Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon as new characters. At the moment, MaXXXine is meant to mark the end of the franchise, though West has teased that he has a few other stories in mind that he might revisit at a later date.
