Thanks to a COVID-induced lockdown, indie horror heavyweight Ti West simply kept the set for his retro slasher X hot—and shot its outstanding prequel. PEARL is a coming-of-rage tale of the soon-to-be mass murderer, shot as a wonderful technicolor fever dream teetering between THE WIZARD OF OZ and PSYCHO, and finally gives the exceptional Mia Goth the juicy lead she’s long deserved. Later this year, Ti West will conclude his trilogy with MAXXXINE, which is bound to find its way into any halfway decent canon of horror cinema.