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Directed By Ti West

Starring – Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Emma Jenkins-Purro

The Plot – Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl (Goth) must tend to her ailing father (Matthew Sunderland) under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother (Tandi Wright). Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pearl finds her ambitions, temptations, and repressions all colliding in this origin story of X’s iconic villain.

Rated R for some strong violence, gore, strong sexual content and graphic nudity

Pearl | Official Trailer HD | A24 – YouTube

POSITIVES

“Pearl” is a prequel to this year’s “X”, but not necessarily one whose prominence rests solely on the formula established by that throwback slasher. Instead, this next chapter blazes a trail of its own that not only pertains to stimulating style, but also in the script itself, which feels aimed at a psychological thriller encompassing. On that measure, the violence and corresponding gore are certainly there, but artistically appraised in depiction through manners that creatively never take away from the story itself, which is very much rooted in a deep-seeded character study of the titular protagonist/antagonist that proves to be a product of her seedy environment. The supporting cast here are remarkable, despite being given very little to properly play with, especially the work of Matthew Sunderland, whose confinement to a wheelchair and no dialogue requires him to act effectively through his eyes, a feat that he flourishes in with unbridled anxiety and overwhelming vulnerability. However, this is obviously and undoubtedly Goth’s showcase, an incredible actress in her own right, but a turn here that feels like the coming out party for what should attain academy acclaim. Goth is a thunderstorm of devastation that blows through everyone and everything in her wake, evolving through an arc that for the character features many sharp twists in her portrayal, and one that is capped off brilliantly with a 7-minute monologue that might just be my single favorite sequence of 2022. As for the signature style that is permeating vibrantly throughout the canvas, the rich technicolor presents a glowing contrast to that of its previous chapter that feels like a visual homage to the golden age of Hollywood cinema, and when combined with a never-ending orchestral score from the dynamic duo of Tyler Bates and Tim Williams, transcends us with an immersive, whimsical essence that periodically borders on whimsical. The style itself is not only articulate for how it replicates such a particular period in cinema, but also cohesive within the boundaries and tonal capacities of the series, which in my interpretation feeds into the hope and ambition of Pearl’s deep-seeded dreams, compared to the aged hopelessness in “X”, which feels weathered with the disappointment and devastation of her once prominent outlook. Further adding to this is the script’s connective tissue of pornography through each of its respective ages that prescribes meaning to the parallels that this character’s ages share with the industry. For “Pearl”, it’s in the boom of French stag films that were illegal for the time frame of the film, for “X” it’s for the grimy amateur age of pornography where everyone felt entitled to make one, and for the upcoming “Maxxxine”, the 80’s will inevitably take us through the shared age of tapes among the trade. This gifts West the accessibility to tie the profession into the film in a way that lends itself to a whole lot more than the typical T&A of the genre, instead feeding into various period pieces alongside its hack and slash framing that not only provides emphasis on the similarities of the two, but also constructs a necessary trilogy that for A24 could change the way they attach themselves to franchises moving forward.

NEGATIVES

While much of the presentation does elicit a transfixing appeal to the magic of escapism cinema, there were a couple of undercooked aspects that I wish were given further effort. For starters, the sound design is too polished and unobstructed, with no scratchy static to emulate authenticity from the age. In addition to this, the warmth and effervescence of the cinematography itself, while luminous, doesn’t exactly channel the distinctive look of the particular period, coming across as too clean in a way that continuously broke my investment of the gimmick, and alluding to the fact that this is a film taking place in 1918 that is filmed in 2022, instead of a film from and filmed in 1918. In addition to this, the one similarity that the film shares with its aforementioned sequel, is that it carefully and meticulously takes its time to tell a thorough character study, before she and the film go to hell in a handbasket. The problem in this instance isn’t with the testing nature of the pacing, which during the initial first act can feel trying before the anxiousness starts to set in, but rather in what we’re given to suppress this feeling, with secondary characters who in design are a bit wooden to ever feel compelling. It’s understandable that this is Pearl’s film, but when “X” comforted me with bigger than life personalities long before Pearl ever even showed up, it took more of the pressure off of the violence. Here, it never reaches that level of relief until the violence starts to materialize, making for a rough initial first hour that can’t take some of the pressure or focus away from its titular protagonist, all the while feeding into the brunt of the aforementioned timely contradictions of film’s production.

OVERALL
In carving out the studio’s first trilogy franchise, A24 has done for “Pearl” what very few sequels or prequels do with respect or fearlessness for accommodating chapters. West’s latest not only stands on its own artistic and thematic merits, but also stalks its way through a boldly thorough character study full of rich technicolor shine and whimsical musical cues that paint a false sense of security to the madness and macabre that Pearl dishes out like dinner, and the kind we devilishly devour.

My Grade: 8/10 or B+