X (2022 film)

X
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTi West
Written byTi West
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEliot Rockett
Edited by
  • David Kashevaroff
  • Ti West
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13) (SXSW)
  • March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million[3]
Box office$15.1 million[4][5]

X is a 2022 American slasher film written, directed, produced and edited by Ti West. It stars Mia Goth in dual roles: a young woman named Maxine, and an elderly woman named Pearl. The film also stars Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi. Set in 1979, the film follows a cast and crew who gather to make a pornographic film on an elderly couple's rural Texas property, but find themselves threatened by the homicidal couple.

A24 announced X in November 2020. Principal photography occurred in February–March 2021, primarily in Fordell, New Zealand. Goth underwent extensive prosthetic makeup for Pearl, and special effects were employed to depict violent scenes in the film. Characterized as a contemporary take on psycho-biddy, X draws inspiration from horror, exploitation, and pornographic films, and emphasizes the interplay between beauty, aging, and self-worth. The score was composed by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe.

X had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States five days later by A24. It received generally positive reviews from critics. It is the first instalment of the X film series, followed by the prequel film Pearl (September 2022) and the sequel MaXXXine (2024).

  1. ^ "X (18)". Irish Film Classification Office. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  2. ^ "X (18)". BBFC. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  3. ^ Cussin, Katie (July 4, 2022). "Pearl: Why the Secretly Filmed Prequel to Ti West's X is a Brilliant Idea". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  4. ^ "X (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  5. ^ "X (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 27, 2022.