Do you need to watch the movies X and Pearl before MaXXXine?

The slasher-horror MaXXXine from Ti West is in theaters on Friday, July 5. It is the direct sequel to X (2022). But do you need to watch X before catching MaXXXine in theaters? What about Pearl? Here’s what we know! 

In the movie MaXXXine, Mia Goth returns to play Maxine, and this time she is determined to become a star. It doesn’t matter who gets in her way or what obstacle Maxine needs to stab her way through, she will never accept a life she doesn’t deserve. If you’ve seen the first movie, you know exactly what I’m talking about, which means you may need to know a thing or two about Maxine’s wild, bloody history. 

Yes, you may want to watch X before checking MaXXXine out in theaters! 

Most of the time, we go ahead and suggest you check out a movie even if you haven’t seen the original. This is because the movie in question usually does a pretty good job of explaining the story and catching viewers up on anything they may not know. However, that is not the case here! 

MaXXXine does not hit the brakes! Don’t expect a recap of all the action you missed in X. There are quick flashbacks, but with no explanation that fans of the original movie will remember. But if you haven’t watched X, it’ll only confuse you further. Sorry, guys! If you are planning on watching this movie over the weekend, you may want to make plans for another feature. Or hey, why not watch X before you go see this one? 

Where to stream Ti West’s X

Unfortunately, X is not available on a streaming service at the time of this writing. The only way to watch X is by purchasing or renting the movie on a VOD platform such as Vudu, Prime Video, or the platform of your choice. And while you are on the X train this weekend, after watching X and MaXXXine, I recommend watching the prequel, Pearl. This one is a lot easier to find than X is. In fact, you have options! Stream Pearl on Paramount+, Prime Video with a premium subscription, and Hulu premium. 

MaXXXine is in theaters Friday, July 5, and is rated R for strong violence, graphic nudity, gore, drug use, language, and sexual content. The slasher stars Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, and others.