Pearl

Pearl

Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland

Directed by Ti West

Earlier this year horror director maestro Ti West showcased his love for classic 70s horror akin to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with the movie "X," about a group of young porn filmmakers making a film on the premises belonging to elderly couple Pearl and Howard, who in turn kill them out of jealousy of their youth and vibrancy. While it was more tame than I thought it would be, it was still very effective and powerful thanks to the dedicated, committed performance of Mia Goth, who played both the main character Maxine as well as the elderly Pearl. At the end of the film there was a shocker - a trailer for Pearl's own self-titled prequel movie, set to be released later this year. It was something rare in cinema - an entire film being shot, edited, and ready to be released in the same year as its predecessor, and no one having known about it. While "Pearl" is more of an in-depth character study of a mentally unhinged woman in the late 1910s, it still provided a terrifying Technicolor thrill-ride that far superseded the original.

It's 1918, and Pearl (Mia Goth) is living on her family farm with her overbearing German mother Ruth (Tandi Wright) and father (Matthew Sunderland), while her husband Howard (Alistair Sewell) is away fighting World War I. Pearl, like most young girls living in the middle of nowhere, dreams of being a big movie star, and having everyone know her name, and she gives herself over to flights of fancy as she does meaningless chores on the farm, and after going into town she meets a handsome projectionist (David Corenswet) who encourages her to pursue her dream - by appearing in the up-and-coming porn industry that's taking off in Europe. When she hears of a traveling troupe that's looking for new dancers, she sees this as her opportunity to really make it big - if only her overbearing mother, her invalid father, and everyone else around her wasn't standing in her way.

Ti West and Mia Goth co-wrote the prequel during the pandemic, and shot the film side-by-side with "X," and you can sense the deep appreciation they both have for both projects, but especially in "Pearl." It's not a slasher film like "X," but rather a deep character study on Pearl's already fragile psyche, and how rejection and a rough upbringing shaped the obscure way she sees the world. More than that, it surprisingly speaks on a deeper level to everyone about their own fears and concerns about life and living a life unfulfilled. You really feel for Pearl, despite her homicidal maniacal tendencies, and it only adds strength when you watch "X" to see how much she's suffered in her own mind all these years.

Pearl is a deeply troubled woman and it's obvious from the beginning, as she years to escape reality and become a big star, someone everyone will know (in a delightful double-entente meaning, as even serial killers are known by everyone, as well as celebrities) and she haves dreams of performing to adoring audiences, but in reality she's putting on a show for the local livestock. In a strange way you feel for her, because who doesn't want to be rich and famous? Yet she goes to rather unorthodox means to achieve her dreams, and when she encounters setbacks, you see the innocent look in her eyes dissipate and her steely murderous resolve comes forward.

Ti West brilliantly shot the film in classic Technicolor beauty, again hearkening to classic Hollywood tales like "The Wizard of Oz." The grass is greener, the sky bluer, and the blood redder - and incorporating classic font and end credits, you feel like you were transported back to the time the film takes place, but even this is a red herring. For when Pearl is in the house with her demanding mother, all color fades away, and she's faced with the cold hard truth of her own reality: even though you want something really bad - and even go to great lengths to achieve it - sometimes those dreams are just out of reach. This is touched upon in "X" as well, which is why you should watch "Pearl" beforehand - it shows that even at a younger age, Pearl could never get what she wanted out of life, and feels like she's living a life terribly wasted. Who couldn't understand where she's coming from? While we don't go out on murder sprees, we often face disappointment and our dreams getting dashed on the rocks, so while Pearl is quintessentially a bad guy (gal), there's still a feeling of connection with her.

Mia Goth absolutely shines as Pearl, and you can tell - as I've said before - her commitment to the character. It's almost like the two have melded into one, with Goth maintaining the sense of sanity while allowing Pearl to go full psycho. Goth uses a sweet southern voice to showcase a sort of naive innocence, but don't let the voice disarm you - inside her beats the heart of a cold blooded maniacal killer that's just waiting to come out. Still, even then it's difficult to feel anger toward her when you witness how she's being treated by her mother. Tandi Wright in her own right (get it?) gives a tour-de-force performance as Pearl's mother Ruth, and in a dinner scene that rivals that of "Hereditary" (no wonder families hate eating at the dinner table together), she fully unleashes her fears, angers, and regrets upon Pearl. Goth herself receives several moments to shine, most notably a lengthy monologue where the camera doesn't take its lens off her face, as you see what's happening in her mind as she delivers her speech, witnessing the character evolving (or devolving) as she tells it. Then there's a lengthy, very uncomfortable moment when the camera once again holds steady on Pearl's face, and while she gives an innocent smile, you see the cracks in her facade appear. Those moments will stick with me and are the earmarks of a spectacular performance, one that sadly will be overshadowed come awards time because horror rarely gets the recognition it deserves (see Toni Collette for example).

There isn't a lot of prequel films that overshadow the original, but there's been a couple - most notably "Ouija: Origin of Evil," which was far superior than "Ouija." While "Pearl" also overshadows "X," it doesn't mean "X" is a bad film - in fact, it's quite good, but I had overly high expectations for it. As it is, "X" is an excellent classic slasher feature that hearkens back to the likes of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Pearl" only adds to the motif that the original provides. If you haven't seen "X," wait until you watch "Pearl" first, because then you'll really understand Pearl's justifications for what she did.

The Score: A+