From the initial announcement of a prequel of the highly acclaimed 2022 slasher film “X,” fans have been at the edge of their seats waiting for “Pearl” to finally grace their screens.
It would be unreasonable to describe “Pearl” in just one word. The film was not only a mesmerizing and mind-twisting journey to watch unfold, but it was also clever throughout, with a sense of worry gripping audiences all the way to the ending credits.
“Pearl” takes place in the same location as “X,” in a cabin homestead in rural Texas in 1918 during World War I. Pearl (Mia Goth), a young woman at the time, is living with her German immigrant parents. Pearl’s father (Matthew Sunderland) is paralyzed, while her mother Ruth (Tandi Wright) is an overbearing, dominant mother figure who insists on Pearl taking care of her father and their farm, never giving Pearl the chance to branch out and find herself in the world.
Pearl eventually realizes that her biggest aspiration is to become a chorus girl, though Ruth strongly disapproves of her dream.
Goth reprises her role as the titular character, Pearl, only this time as a much younger version. Goth was nothing short of spectacular from the moment she appeared on screen.
Not only did Goth show her incredible versatility as an actress, but nearly every word she uttered came off as frightening. Critics and fans alike have praised Goth for her performance, calling it “star-making” as well as “Oscar-worthy.”
The film also stars David Corenswet as the projectionist and Pearl’s fling while her husband Howard (Alistair Sewell) is out fighting in the war. Emma Jenkins-Purro stars as Mitsy, Pearl’s much wealthier and privileged sister-in-law.
Throughout the film, writer and director Ti West paid homages to the films of the golden age of Hollywood, such as “The Wizard of Oz.” The homages were very apparent and showcased an even broader range in the film than “X.”
West’s creativity is what really makes “Pearl” a successful second chapter in the “X” franchise.
West adds a more psychological approach to this film than its predecessor, creating a more eerie environment. West also does a great job in connecting a lot of the ideas that transpired in the first film to the second one, with the themes of desire, aging/youth and looking after your future being highlighted once again.
Upon being released to theaters across the country, many questioned if West would nail the origin story of its villain Pearl. Wholeheartedly, West delivered in just about every account in showing why this young woman became a killer enraged with sexual desires in “X.”
Despite the positive reviews, one of the glaring issues of the film was that it felt like everything went from 0-100 quickly. Even though viewers see signs of Pearl being a deranged and questionable woman early on, some chunks in the middle of the film came off as just filler and boring.
There were still some interesting elements during that time period, but the dialogue between the characters came off slow and methodical, and not in the best way possible. However, once the killing and paranoia begin to settle in, it is easily much more of a challenge to look away from the big screen, as “Pearl” turns into what we all expected … a bloody masterpiece.
Building a strong backstory with jaw-dropping murders, a psychotic, disturbed and downright desperate character and a terrified and endless smile that stays put until the very end of the post-credits, “Pearl” delivers in more ways than one.
