Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsPearl, X, and MaXXXine are Ti West’s three-film X trilogy. They share a story world and connect through Mia Goth’s two separate characters, Pearl and Maxine Minx, as well as their intertwined ambitions around fame and cinema. For first-time viewers, release order is X, Pearl, then MaXXXine; the story’s chronology is Pearl, X, then MaXXXine.
How the three films connect
The trilogy is not one uninterrupted story about a single character. X and MaXXXine follow Maxine Minx, while Pearl tells the earlier story of Pearl, the older woman who becomes the villain in X. A24 describes Pearl as an origin story for that villain. A24’s Pearl page
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"Mia Goth Is" Bluray Collection: X - Pearl - Maxxxine | $69.36 | Buy on Amazon |
Mia Goth plays both Pearl and Maxine, but they are distinct characters—not the same person at different ages or under different identities. The link between them is the shared world of the films and their related, contrasting hunger for a life shaped by movies and stardom.
Release order and story chronology
| Viewing order | Sequence | Why choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Release order | X (2022) → Pearl (2022) → MaXXXine (2024) | See the films in the order audiences encountered them. A24’s collector’s edition presents the trilogy in this order. |
| Story chronology | Pearl → X → MaXXXine | Follow the events from Pearl’s earlier life through Maxine’s later Hollywood ambition. |
Both orders make sense. Release order preserves the franchise’s original reveal and progression; chronology makes it easier to follow the timeline. The A24 collector’s edition listing groups the films as X, Pearl, and MaXXXine, while the BFI describes Pearl as a prequel and MaXXXine as the trilogy’s conclusion.
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What happens in each film’s timeline
Pearl: the earlier story
Set before X, Pearl centers on Pearl’s frustrated desire for a glamorous life like the ones she sees in movies. Its connection to X is the character history behind the older villain, rather than a story about Maxine’s past.
X: Maxine’s 1979 ambition
X introduces Maxine as she tries to become a star in 1979. It also places Pearl, now older, in the same narrative world. That pairing creates a sharp contrast between two women whose lives and desires are shaped by performance and the promise of fame.
MaXXXine: Hollywood in 1985
MaXXXine carries Maxine’s ambition forward to Hollywood in the summer of 1985. A24’s synopsis describes her as an adult-film star and aspiring actress who gets a major opportunity while a killer stalks Hollywood starlets. A24’s MaXXXine page
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The trilogy’s shared interest in cinema and fame
The films connect thematically as well as through character history. Pearl longs for movie-star glamour; Maxine’s stated goal in X is to become a star; and MaXXXine moves her into Hollywood. In a July 5, 2024 BFI interview, West described the progression this way: “In 1979 her goal was to become a star. The logical next step was to take her to Hollywood.”
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West also said, “This trilogy has become, in some ways, about how cinema is affecting the characters – so it felt like the logical progression.” That is his description of the trilogy’s developing through-line, not a claim that every scene has one fixed meaning. Read the BFI interview with Ti West
An optional way to watch all three
A24 lists a three-disc X Trilogy: Collector’s Edition containing X, Pearl, and MaXXXine in Blu-ray and 4K UHD. The listing describes a 64-page booklet, concept art, costume sketches, behind-the-scenes photography, more than 90 minutes of featurettes, and commentary tracks for all three films. Availability, price, and formats can change, so check the live listing before buying.
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