Pearl

Mia Goth deserves to be recognized as a new age horror icon. This is an all-time horror role that dwarfs all in the last decade. It feels like an extremely fucked up “Wizard of Oz” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, but a girl with serial killer tendencies. Pearl is a deeply disturbed woman whose repressed desires cause her to go on a murder spree. Ti West has something special with his potential trilogy as it all comes together. The story itself helps explain “X” and makes me it appreciate it more. This is a clinical character study of a total mental implosion, similar to “Joker” but executed much better. All of the symbolism here is also much more grotesque and on point than “X”. Call it what you will: this is my top horror movie of the year.