Pearl

While West's previous film X leaned on the atmosphere of 70s slasher and porn films, its prequel Pearl is a homage to classic Hollywood, combining the dark tale of the protagonist's descent into madness with the aesthetics of colourful Technicolor melodramas and live-action Disney films from the 50s. It features a boisterous orchestral score, overwrought musical numbers and artificially picturesque scenery, but it also gradually breaks down Hollywood glitz and subverts the conventions of the aforementioned films, like in the the way the main character treats the animals. The story can be seen as a wacky variation on The Wizard of Oz. Pearl is a lonely farmer girl who dances and talks to the animals on a fairy-tale farm and dreams of becoming a big Hollywood star instead of cleaning up cow poop. But circumstances force her to stay in a depressing reality (and have sex with a scarecrow in a field). Over time, her unfulfilled fairy-tale dreams of a world "over the rainbow" have terrifying consequences, and Pearl transforms from "Dorothy" to "the Wicked Witch." This is no gorefest full of scares, but an old-fashioned psychodrama with long takes and carefully crafted mise-en-scene. The film has even been praised by Martin Scorsese himself, who has said that the love of cinema can be felt in every frame. And it really is a treat for cinephiles. The main driving force is once again Mia Goth's performance. Her ability to play a seamless transition from a sweetly naive farm girl to a bloodthirsty murderous psychopath is unparalleled. The climactic final scene then builds to her long monologue, which is shot almost entirely in one unbroken take. (11/16/2023)

After the fairly accomplished retro slasher X, Ti West delivers a Technicolor nightmare that absolutely works in its (intentional) kitsch. Unlike the previous film, Pearl is not predictable and avoids genre tropes, and Mia Goth proves once again that she is an incredibly energetic presence in contemporary genre cinema. (05/28/2023)

She-Joker. Meticulously crafted in psychological terms, Pearl is an interesting and polished profile of an unstable asocial that crosses the same boundaries that the award-winning hit with Joaquin Phoenix did. The setting with a hillbilly family in a house in rural Texas is even more appealing to me. In fact, Ti West suggests here how idyllic the origins of other famous Texas families could have looked... The kitschy fairy-tale-like retro-stylization contrasts with the dark tones of the soundtrack, indicating the presence of a hidden evil and gradually paving the way for the outburst of that evil. The main character delights fans of the genre not only with a pitchfork and axe in hand, but also with a long one-shot confession about her own shattered mental state. Mia Goth is great. And the audiovisual flashes of Kubrick and Hitchcock... Pearl is a formalistic delight for those who are interested. (11/06/2022)

Some people say that a film is as good as its villain, and, Pearl is a perfect example. Mia Goth is amazing, on a small space she can play a naive girl, a broken woman, a demon-ridden bitch and a total psychopath, she has all of that in her acting register. Her almost ten-minute confession at the end, filmed in one take, blew my mind. Moreover, it's all supported by a script that flows naturally, has a logical development and almost reaches the level of Phoenix's Joker in terms of psychology. And the visual games with the camera, the opening with classical music in the style of good old Hollywood! I'm just shocked that after the botched X, Ti West was able to create something like this. This is a little horror treat, made with love and art, aimed at film connoisseurs. (06/26/2023)

X wasn't exactly stellar, so I didn't set my expectations high for this prequel, only to be pleasantly surprised in the end. While I can't say I was thrilled, I must admit that Ti West delivered a significantly better piece of work this time. I hesitate to label this movie as a horror with a clear conscience; it felt more like a dive into the psyche of an unconventional American country girl, struggling with her ambitions and other issues. Not that she put much effort into fighting them back, mind you. There was definitely an improvement compared to the previous/next film, mainly because I didn't feel the need to hit the fast-forward button this time. I wonder if Mia Goth's involvement in the screenplay contributed to this improvement; it certainly seemed that way from my perspective. But who's to say for sure, right? I would easily tack on an extra star, but the creators shouldn't be so overconfident. They really ought to bring in some advisors on handling an axe during filming. Watching Pearl, who's supposedly lived her whole life on a farm, handle an axe like a virgin was painful. The same person could probably explain to the crew that an axe blade leaves distinct marks on the human body, unlike those made by a surgical saw. Yep, the devil's in the details. / Lesson learned: If you're using farm tools to chase your dreams, you're probably going too far. (10/27/2023)