_Pearl_ is a great character study that dives deeper in the stakes that an individual will go to attain success. It is unquestionable that the main question people will ask is, does it live up to X? While I do think it is a good film that I thoroughly enjoyed, it does not overtake its predecessor and that is completely okay. They are two entirely different movies but achieve their goals brilliantly.
This film is the textbook definition of a slow burn. The movie drags on and continues to provide this eerie tension as the viewer knows what the end result of this tragic film will be, but still…
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"Pearl may be a prequel to X, but Ti West turns this slasher into an incredibly complex character study represented - and co-written (!) - by Mia Goth.
The new star of the horror genre deepens the protagonist Pearl, exploring her tremendous desire to fulfill her dream of wanting to become something more than a mere farm girl, including a mesmerizing monologue of nearly ten uninterrupted minutes, where raw, insane, wholly genuine emotion of the character comes across in a fascinating manne…
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Despite quite a characterful effort from Mia Goth as the title character here, I wasn't really very impressed with this film. She lives on a farm whilst her young husband is off fighting on the Somme. She shares her life with her Germanic, rather authoritarian, mother "Ruth" (Tandi Wright) and her profoundly disabled father who cannot speak and who is entirely dependent on these two women. "Pearl" longs to escape. On one of her occasional visits to town to collect her father's laudanum, she encounters the local projectionist (David Corenswet) who shows her a (quite racy) film and suggests that…
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**By: Louisa Moore / www.ScreenZealots.com**
The strange and unusual “Pearl,” a prequel to writer / director Ti West‘s “X”, is a different kind of slasher film. Creating an origin story for the title villain, the film tells the history of a farm girl dreamer with a serious mean streak. It’s a horror movie that’s unlike any other, a candy-colored, nightmarish dream world of lofty ambitions, brutal violence, and bloody murder.
Pearl (Mia Goth) is trapped on her family’s isolated farm. She dutifully performs her barn chores and tends to her ailing, wheelchair-bound father (Matthew Sunderlan…
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I will be doing a combined review for the two films, "X" and "Pearl."
Upon seeing the high ratings given by both the general public and critics to these movies, I am left puzzled about what truly makes a good film.
Let's start with "X," a movie that I found to be absolutely terrible. The film revolves around pornography rather than a cohesive storyline, resulting in a disjointed and atrocious viewing experience. The cinematography, acting, storytelling, and writing were all subpar, yet critics inexplicably praised it.
The attempt to elevate the film with Jenna Ortega fell short, as sh…
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Pearl (2022) is a visually striking psychological horror film that takes a unique approach to storytelling. Set in the 1920s, the movie immediately stands out with its vibrant, almost dreamlike cinematography that contrasts with its dark themes. The production design is meticulous, capturing the era’s aesthetic with rich colors and a polished, old-Hollywood feel. While the plot starts off slow, especially in the first act and early second, it gradually picks up, pulling you deeper into the protagonist's unsettling world. Ti West's direction is methodical, letting tension simmer rather than rel…
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<em>'Pearl'</em> doesn't quite hit as well as <em>'X'</em>, though it has enough about it to still be suitably enjoyable. It did lose steam for me the longer it went on and there aren't many moments to remember, tbh I personally would've preferred more of older Pearl than younger Pearl.
Still, Mia Goth continues to impress. Tandi Wright stands out too, even if it certainly is Goth's movie. David Corenswet is there too, I wonder what that guy is up to nowadays. The film, like its predecessor, remains a treat visually, the distinctive eras of each flick are definite plus points.
A good fil…
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For a gal who appears so kind and sweet, she has a wicked and kinda creepy side. This is a totally barbaric film, and the sheer brutality is staggering. It's beyond all my hopes and wishes for the film, Mia Goth has won my horror heart over.
Such a special kind of broken that made me feel through the madness of it all.
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