Mia Goth’s 10/10 Serial Killer Movie That ‘Unsettled’ Martin Scorsese Is Officially Streaming for Free

A Mia Goth movie managed to make Martin Scorsese lose sleep, which is quite an achievement. The man is often referred to as the greatest living director for a reason. The filmmaker behind landmark movies such as Taxi Driver and Goodfellas hardly needs an introduction. And while he might be like a teddy bear in real life, he has been known to disturb people himself through his dark-toned movies. Yet one Mia Goth performance managed to follow him to bed. His response was an enthusiastic recommendation. But anyone taking his advice might want to reconsider watching it just before midnight.

The film is the second entry in the X trilogy. It follows a young woman’s dreams of stardom, a woman who, incidentally, has the capacity for violence that would make most casting directors rethink an open audition. She becomes an unrepentant serial killer. Its bright color palette and rural setting suggest something considerably more wholesome. But that is before its incredibly gory violence suddenly erupts. The color grading makes the ugliness underneath all the more effective. You can now discover that for yourself without paying for another streaming subscription.

Where to Watch Mia Goth’s Pearl for Free

Ti West’s Pearl is available to stream for free on Kanopy and Hoopla, with eligible library access, and free with ads on The Roku Channel, Fandango at Home, Plex, Xumo Play, and Tubi in the United States.

Released in 2022, Pearl is the prequel to X. Goth returns as the younger version of the first film’s elderly killer. Set in 1918, it follows a farm girl who dreams of becoming a star while living with her strict mother and caring for her infirm father. Goth also co-wrote the screenplay with West.

Her longing to escape is easy enough to understand. Her methods are where sympathy becomes a considerably trickier proposition. West gives her world the lush appearance of an old Hollywood fantasy. And then, he lets Goth steadily poison the picture.

There is also an entire trilogy available for anyone whose Halloween plans require more Mia Goth. X and MaXXXine both have free and ad-supported US streaming options. Watching in release order means starting with X, continuing with Pearl, and finishing with MaXXXine.

Here’s why Pearl Got Under Martin Scorsese’s Skin

Martin Scorsese became a fan of Ti West and Mia Goth | Credits: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Scorsese’s endorsement came in a statement published by Slash Film. The master filmmaker’s adulation is important since Scorsese’s entire career is littered with masterpieces. He praised West’s evident love of filmmaking and the prequel’s departure from X, and the way West and Goth manipulate an audience’s emotions. His recommendation doubles as a bedtime warning. He said:

That progression gets at what makes Pearl so effective. Its heroine wants something familiar: recognition, freedom, and proof that her life will amount to more than chores. Goth makes those desires painfully understandable even as Pearl’s behavior becomes increasingly horrifying.

The film’s prettiness compounds the discomfort. Pearl seems to imagine herself as the deserving heroine of a glamorous movie, and West gives her surroundings enough splendor to indulge that fantasy. Other people, unfortunately, have their own lives and desires. She finds their refusal to behave like supporting characters rather difficult to accept.

Goth can make you pity this woman while desperately hoping nobody leaves you alone in a room with her. That too-wide grin at the end will stay with you for a long, long time. The trilogy is one of the best horror movie trilogies in history.

Did Pearl get under your skin too, or do you prefer X or MaXXXine? Tell us your favorite of the trilogy in the comments!