“You’re scaring me, Pearl.”
While I find most of Ti West’s work to be middling, I have to admit that I really like what he did with Pearl. Of course, I could argue that the primary reason that I enjoy the film so much may just be the performance of Mia Goth as the 2022 film’s titular character. She has a disarming “sweet” look and manner about her in this film that almost had me cheering for Pearl as she found a way to remedy her spiraling mental breakdown by hacking, burning, and pitchforking her way through those that were holding her back. The film is superior in every way to the first film in West’s X trilogy. Where X seemed to be trapped within the films that inspired it, Pearl came across as a contemporary of the films that were its inspiration.
In the movie, Pearl, a young wife whose husband has left for the war, dreams of becoming a world famous movie star like the women that she sees in films at the local theater. Instead of chasing her dream, she’s stuck on her family’s farm, helping her mother and taking care of her disabled father. As the days, weeks, and months pass her by, Pearl feels trapped on the farm and slowly begins to become unhinged. She starts to take out her frustration on the animals on the farm…….and then progresses to human victims.
The film is a bright, happily-toned vision that is actually very, very dark. Goth does a brilliant job as Pearl, especially when it comes to a disturbing monologue that she performs near the end of the film. Tandi Wright portrays Pearl’s domineering mother, Ruth. Matthew Sunderland portrays Pearl’s wheelchair-bound, invalid father. David Corenswet stars in a supporting role as the projectionist at the local theater who Pearl has a fling with and who becomes frightened of Pearl once he really gets to know her. Emma Jenkins-Purro appears as Mitsy, Pearl’s sister-in-law and (at least in Pearl’s mind) her biggest adversary.
Pearl is a rare prequel that’s better than the original film. I have yet to watch MaXXXine, the final film in the trilogy, but based upon Ti West’s other works, I’m pretty sure that Pearl is better than that film as well. I will eventually watch that movie and might review it. I haven’t reviewed X yet, either. In any case, I highly recommend Pearl.
Thanks for checking out today’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror post!
