Why Mia Goth Plays Both Maxine & Pearl In X | Screen Rant
Warning: Contains spoilers for X.
Ti West’s X stars Mia Goth in the dual roles of Maxine and Pearl – here’s the significance of her playing both characters. Receiving very positive reviews and with a prequel movie already filmed, X succeeds as a retro slasher with a very modern outlook. Mia Goth is unrecognizable in her second role as the villainous Pearl, and there’s a fantastic thematic reason behind her taking on this character.
Set in 1979, X follows a film crew who set out to make a pornographic movie on a secluded Texas farm. The group believes their adult film will lead to bigger opportunities for each of them, only for events to take a horrifying turn when their elderly hosts attack them during the night. X boasts an eclectic cast including Brittany Snow, Martin Henderson, and Scream 2022’s Jenna Ortega, but it’s Mia Goth who steals the show.
Goth playing both the young adult film actor Maxine and the elderly Pearl is an unusual move, but one that pays off incredibly well. Far more than mere stunt casting, her dual roles underscore the considerable similarities between the characters. X’s story juxtaposing sexual liberation and aging is perfectly reflected in Maxine’s career aspirations and Pearl’s regret over a wasted life. Despite their age gap and Pearls’ homicidal tendencies, the characters are essentially one and the same, with Pearl acting as a prediction of Maxine’s future.
Most films would have simply cast different people, but horror director Ti West always knew he wanted the same actor to double for Maxine and Pearl. He explained his reasoning, saying “I always thought of them as different characters but the same person.” (via Letterboxd) Indeed, Pearl could almost be an older version of Maxine, considering both characters place great emphasis on their looks. Maxine is determined to achieve fame as an adult film actor, relying on her body and her youth to achieve greater self-worth. Although she professes to be a star, Maxine shows little passion for her chosen career, using cocaine to get through the film shoot. She, along with her fellow crew members, educates the naïve Lorraine (Ortega) about the merits of expressing oneself through sex, gradually revealing her true desire – freedom and acceptance. X’s ending explains she escaped an oppressive religious background, seeking sexual liberation to overcome an apparent internal struggle. Pearl shares this conflict, being attracted to the young film crew while condemning their behavior.
The elderly Pearl watches televised sermons preached by Maxine’s father, explicitly connecting the two characters. Whereas Maxine has grand ambitions to be loved, Pearl seeks adoration on a more intimate level. Yet, their basic desires are the same. Maxine craves something she may never achieve, evoking Pearl’s futile attempts to gain affection from the young film crew, and her reluctant husband. Pearl laments a youthfulness and desirability she has lost, and Maxine exhibits an unspoken fear that the same could happen to her. Therefore, it makes sense to have X star Mia Goth play two characters who are reflections of one another. Pearl is haunted by a version of her younger self, and so attempts to become Maxine by recreating what she has observed, ultimately climbing into bed with her. Mia Goth playing both roles emphasizes how they are each confronting themselves. Goth’s variations on these scenes help define Pearl’s frustrations as she emulates a life she once had, creating a more empathetic portrayal.
The duality of the roles conveys that Maxine killing Pearl is a rejection of a life she doesn’t want for herself. However, X’s ending shows that Maxine is still running from a life of repression, and her future is left wide open. Ti West’s upcoming prequel, Pearl, can go even further into their similarities, with Goth playing a youthful version of the villain in 1918.
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