A24 has given audiences thought-provoking pieces of cinema with Hereditary, Midsommar, The Witch, and most recently, X and Pearl. X introduces audiences to one of the most creative takes on the slasher and found footage genres in horror. Focusing on a group of indie filmmakers ready to shoot the greatest adult film of all time, they rent the guest house on a desolate Texan farm–unbeknownst to them that the owners, Pearl and Howard, are murderers waiting to strike. This murderous duo’s motivations are subjective, but looking into their shared history helps better understand their deviant behavior. Here is a look into Pearl and Howard’s marriage.

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Repression

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X focuses on the repression both men and women undergo due to social constructs. Pearl is repressed by the gender norms of the early to mid-1900s; she is expected to spend her entire life as a housewife in rural America; this ideology is strongly implemented by her mother, an oppressive woman who holds Pearl in contempt for the latter’s desire to achieve fame as a performer. Howard is expected to maintain the social norms of an upper-middle class man; when he refutes said norms by running away from home, marrying a lower-class woman, and joining the army, he is relegated to lower-class expectations. When returning from the war, Howard spends the rest of his youth serving as an emotional provider for Pearl.

This extends to their sexuality; Pearl never fully explores her sexual nature aside from her marriage to Howard and her extramarital affair during it, which in itself is a one-time encounter. Howard himself is sexually hindered by a heart condition he develops at some point during his life. Neither character ever fulfills their inherent intellectual nor sexual needs.

Narcissism

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There is a varying degree of narcissism expressed by Pearl and Howard. Pearl loathes having to spend her youth on a farm with no prospects of personal development in sight. In turn, she resents tending to her invalid father and the farm work required to maintain their household. Howard is born into wealth, but rejects this inherited social status and instead joins the army to fight in WW1–Howard would rather die in a blaze of glory than accept his birth privilege. Howard’s sexual inadequacy eventually affects his mental health; feeling emasculated by Wayne and RJ’s lead male lead, Jackson, Howard kills him. Both these characters destroy anything that invalidates their existence, even if that very thing is themselves.

Traditional Marriage Norms

Pearl and Howard’s marriage is complex. They stay together for over sixty years despite Howard knowing Pearl is a murderous psychopath. Perhaps it’s his devotion towards her, or perhaps it’s a byproduct of their time; divorce was a taboo option regardless of which partner proposed it. After murdering her family, there is nothing hindering Pearl from pursuing her career in a metropolitan setting–she instead remains with Howard. Both these characters, with their repressions and aspirations, only know one reality: country life and the norms established for them, in their case, maintaining their marriage until “Death Do Them Part.”

Psychopathy

Pearl and Howard are psychopaths regardless of their motivations. From farm animals, to her parents, to her sister-in-law, Bobby-Lynne, and anyone representative of her shortcomings, Pearl revels in bloodshed. Howard’s psychopathy stems from life experiences. The casualties Howard witnessed during his service in WW1 influenced his future murderous tendencies. While Pearl’s psychopathy stems from an innate desire, Howard’s are attributed to his life circumstances, from his harrowing war ordeal to protecting Pearl by abducting, and murdering, anyone that goes against her sexual needs.

“Make the Best of What I Have”

Pearl and Howard ultimately only have each other. Pearl’s dreams crumble the moment she fails her audition, and notably when she feels equally repressed even without her parents’ presence. Pearl’s short affair with the projectionist further influences her view of the world outside her rural homestead; the projectionist is a worldly man with extensive knowledge of the film industry; his rejection, along with her failed audition, reinforce her mother’s philosophy, “Make the Best of What I have.” All Pearl has at visible sight is Howard. Howard has slowly been stripped of his worth in society, both willingly and unwillingly. He abandons his coddled lifestyle to instead experience a life of poverty and self-stardom.

While this brings him fulfillment when he meets and marries Pearl, his life takes a sharp turn upon discovering she’s a psychopath. From covering her tracks to committing degenerate acts to contain her, Howard spends most of his life serving while stripped away of his humanity; first by an oppressive father; next by his war experiences, and lastly, by his inability to provide to Pearl’s sexual needs. Pearl uses Howard as an emotional crutch who enables her killings; for Howard, Pearl is the only person who will accept him despite his lifelong shortcomings. Both of these characters remain together to survive.