X Movie Ending Explained By Star Brittany Snow

Warning! SPOILERS for Ti West’s X.

The ending of Ti West’s new horror film X is explained by the film’s star Brittany Snow, who talks about the parallels between the protagonist and antagonist of the movie. West is known for his layered, contemplative horror films with haunting atmosphere and dark comedy, such as The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers. His latest film X took those strengths and combined them with well-rounded characters and confident pacing to make one of the most interesting slashers to come out in a long time.

X follows the cast and crew of an adult film as they try to shoot on an elderly couple’s rural Texas property in 1979, only for the couple to start killing them off one by one. X has many interpretations of its imagery and symbolism, the most common being the obvious parallel between protagonist Maxine and antagonist Pearl since both are played by Mia Goth. In the end, Maxine kills Pearl and is left as the only survivor, driving off into the sunrise as many Final Girls have done throughout slasher history.

In an interview with Collider, Snow talks about the meaning of the film X, saying it’s about being a product of one’s environment and the fear of the expectations of society taking over. She thinks that Maxine will be unable to escape that cycle because she shares a similar soul to Pearl, who was controlled by her regrets of not living the life she wanted. She also mentions that they might be the same person separated by time, as both were played by Goth. Read her full quote below:

I guess that’s the question the movie poses, right? Big spoiler alert! Are we just all a product of our environment, are we just a product of our disappointments, and are we going to age into that fear and will that fear overtake us? I don’t know. I like to think that she makes it out of there, but it doesn’t seem likely. It seems like it’s a perpetual cycle. And I do kind of like to imagine that [Maxine] and Pearl are one in the same. I know that’s not Mia’s process, but I do like to view them as the same person, soul.

With the prequel to X, Pearl, already in the works, with Goth confirmed to reprise her role, West clearly has more story to tell in that world. It’s revealed at the end of X that Maxine is the runaway daughter of a conservative preacher who is heard giving sermons throughout the movie, and perhaps Pearl will reveal a similar backstory for Pearl, but how she’s unable to escape the life that was imagined for her like Maxine was. West has confirmed that filming for Pearl is already complete, possibly meaning its release is coming sooner rather than later.

X is one of the best slashers to come out in recent years, without having to lean on the crutch of parody or franchise histories like Scream (2022) or Halloween (2018), showing there’s still an audience for the genre as long as it’s constructed with the passion and respect it deserves. With X being the first of a potential trilogy, it’s clear West has a vision for where the new series can go and already has an audience willing to follow him. Who knows if Pearl can fulfill those ambitions, but the allegorical style of X suggests it’s a thematic project with the depth needed to succeed.

Source: Collider

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