Directed by Ti West (X) — Screenplay by Ti West.
In spite of its late release in my corner of the world, Pearl — a prequel to Ti West’s horror hit X — was initially released in the very same year as X was in the United States. Together they present us with a fascinating horror period piece exercise centered on the power of the craft of filmmaking, being and feeling seen, and the American Dream. Whereas X was set in the 1970s, Pearl takes place in 1918 and follows its titular character (played by Mia Goth), a young woman who lives with her German immigrant parents on a farm in Texas. This is, indeed, the same elderly woman that Mia Goth played while covered in make-up and prosthetics in X (one of her two roles in that film), and this film thus serves as an origin story for that character. In the film, we see how Pearl feels trapped and lonely partly due to the fact that her husband (played by Alistair Sewell) is fighting in World War One in Europe, while her strict mother (played by Tandi Wright) insists that she does chores on the farm. Meanwhile, Pearl becomes increasingly infatuated with entertainment and dancing, and she is desperate to one day get up on a stage and gain mass approval — which a theater projectionist (played by David Corenswet, who was recently chosen to be the next Superman) ensures her she is ‘pretty enough’ for.
It is quite interesting to see how with both X and Pearl, writer-director Ti West is aiming for a certain look. With X, West delivered a period slasher about celebrity and the American Dream and gave it a look that evoked 1970s retro horror. His ambitions are slightly different with Pearl. Not only is it set in a different period, but it also achieves a starkly different look. West achieves a different aesthetic in part through Technicolor-like bright colors (including jaw-droppingly gorgeous reds), wipe transitions and iris-outs, and equally era-appropriate fonts and music. As such it is a stylistically dazzling period exploration that makes it stand out as more than just a period slasher film. It’s also less of a retro-horror recreation and more of a fully realized character study with undeniable fantasy elements. It is a uniquely different beast when compared to X, even though the grizzly horror and allusions to adult material eventually pop up for all to see here. Make no mistake, there are distinct horror elements peppered in through the 100-ish minute runtime, but it grows gradually more and more disturbing as it goes along.
In the lead role, Ti West has once again collaborated with Mia Goth, who also had a pivotal (double) role in X, but her performance here is on another level. Not only does her convincing performance carry the film, but the raw physicality and go-for-broke nature of her top-notch performance elevate the film to new heights. She has this jaw-dropping unbroken monologue, as well as another unbroken take for the end credits that chills you to the bone as the curtain calls. It is a wildly dedicated turn with several absurd and memorable moments that make it an instantly iconic horror performance. I mean, the scarecrow dance alone is just so unnerving and absurd and is played to over-the-top lunacy perfection. There is a moment in the film when she screams “I’m married!” to an inanimate object and her note-perfect delivery made me belly laugh and smile from ear to ear.
It is also a fascinating film to watch when seen as a product of the COVID-lockdown era. To have it set around the time of the Spanish flu seems purposeful, as does this idea that you feel trapped in your surroundings once the picture shows illuminate how freeing the rest of the world looks on the big screen. Ti West’s refreshing new horror film series continues to impress. His prequel to X is, to me, an improvement on the original film. It is yet another film obsessed with stardom and ambition, and this one features a breathtaking and unsettling central performance from Mia Goth who, quite frankly, has never been better. Her awards-worthy performance livens it up and the gorgeous color scheme makes it a film you mustn’t miss. Pearl is phenomenal and one of the most stunning horror films I’ve seen in quite some time. I can’t wait to see what West and Goth have up their sleeves for their next go-around in this series.
9 out of 10
– Review Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 