User Reviews

Extremely entertaining throwback-appearing (think old Hollywood cinematography and score) blood-soaked origin story of a girl with big dreams. After hints of malevolence, a chain of circumstances and events leads Pearl down a dark path.

The key here is Mia Goth's performance. One minute she comes across as a sympathetic character, the next she is beyond creepy, and there are still times in this film with laughter interspersed between moments of horrific violence. Perhaps the best moment in the film is a monologue that is best described as otherworldly. Really good watch, tremendous performance.

Pearl is desperate for a better life, a life away from the grind and drudgery of the farm, and to escape her ailing father and disapproving mother, a dancing competition at The Church Hall provides an opportunity.

What an unexpected, enjoyable movie this is, a good mix of horror and drama, with a pretty great story mixed in. A repressed girl desperate to escape to a new life, but very much close to the edge.

I had all but forgotten about X, and kept thinking there was something strangely familiar about this, of course Pearl is the prequel to that movie, I think on balance I actually preferred this one.

Some cracking scenes, Pearl's long monologue after losing out in the dancing competition, and that moment where she chats to her father at the river's edge.

A fine performance from Mia Goth, well acted all round.

7/10.

Pearl (2022) is a movie my wife and I saw in theatres last night. The storyline follows a young lady in 1918 who lives on a farm with her handicapped father and over burdened mother and whose husband is off at war. The young lady has delusions of grandeur and feels she should be a movie star and far away from her farm. Her family needs her to stay and help with chores and keep them alive. When there's tryouts for a traveling dance team she plans to audition whether her family wants her to or not.

This movie is directed by Ti West (Them) and stars Mia Goth (A Cure for Wellness), David Corenswet (The Politician), Emma Jenkins-Purro (The Brokenwood Mysteries), Matthew Sunderland (The Lost City of Z) and Tandi Wright (Jack the Giant Slayer).

The cinematography in this movie is outstanding, as is the attire, depiction of the era and the performance of Mia Goth (who co-wrote and produced this movie with West). This is more of a character piece with horror elements than a traditional horror movie. There's elements that worked for me and scenes that left me scratching my head. I will say I was very frustrated watching this movie. Every scene with the alligator was awesome. There's a pitchfork scene, fight with the mother and explosion I adored. The father was also a solid, creepy character (the bath scenes made me cringe). However, the movie feels like it is trying too hard to prove Pearl is insane. The scarecrow scene felt rediculous and didn't work for me. How people reacted to her behavior at times felt off (they tolerated her uncomfortably long). The monologue scene was great acting but felt unrealistic from the sister in-law's perspective. The ending was sudden and I wanted more.

Overall, there's things to like about this movie and components that dragged and was overdone. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

"Pearl" is Ti West's followup to the 1970s-set "X", which serves as an origin story for that film's villain. It focuses on her life as a lonely and whimsical young woman who feels stifled by her obligations caring for her family in 1918 Texas while her husband serves in World War I. Pearl's only outlet is the local cinema, where she is invigorated by the glamour of motion pictures and dreams of being a star. Pearl's longing for a more thrilling life--along with some ostensibly psychological predispositions to insanity--drive her to do some unspeakable things.

Though branded as a "Technicolor slasher" of sorts, "Pearl" is, in truth, more of a twisted psychological family drama, and a character study of a deeply sad outsider who feels her life is slipping away from her; her dreams, desires, and impulses out of reach due to her circumstances. This theme was tapped upon in "X", which showed the character at the end of her life, and this exploration of where she came from is demented and poignant by turns. The film is notably effective because this existential theme is one that is endemic to being a human--a fear for many that, no matter where we are in our lives, is ever-present--all of the "what-ifs", the mourning of "lost" time, and even worse: the possibility that where we are is in fact where we belong.

This film would not work without Mia Goth's performance, which is truly remarkable. Here, she portrays an outsider anti-hero that is steeped in nuance and conflicting character traits (and flaws). Her ennui and sadness is empathetically played, and one can sense that Goth herself, on some level, identifies with Pearl's pain. She lends the role a potent mixture of naiveté, delicateness, and pure, murderous rage. While Pearl is all of these things, she is also none of them entirely, and thanks to Goth's performance (and the screenplay, which she had a hand in co-crafting with West), the character emerges as multilayered and human despite her propensity for evil. Encircling Goth is a solid supporting cast who are all capable of meeting her intensity with varying degrees of bewilderment, disgust, and sheer terror.

"Pearl" does indeed edge into slasher territory in its third act, and the film as a whole is a visual feast--garishly colorful, and tipping its hat to a number of films. "The Wizard of Oz" is an obvious cornerstone, but there are visual and symbolic nods to "Repulsion" and, even more heavily, Frederick Friedel's obscure farm-set "Axe", another film that follows a mysterious (and murderous) young woman caring for her infirm grandfather on a rural farm. As with "X", West uses these influences smartly without browbeating the audience or pushing the film's content over the edge into pure pastiche, and the film downshifts in its denouement in a way that is unexpectedly touching, despite all the spilt blood and entrails.

As a companion piece to "X", "Pearl" may leave some fans of its predecessor underwhelmed, largely because it is so tonally different and not the conventional "slasher" film that might be expected. However, as a nuanced character study of a budding serial killer, it could not possibly be any better. "Pearl" stands tall as a disturbing and strangely heartbreaking portrait of a person who, upon finding that her search for meaning and validation from others leads her nowhere, is then only capable of destroying them. 9/10.

It's creepy as hell (I think. I don't usually watch horror films, but I think this is more of a psychopathic film). The way Pearl talks, her mouth opens, etc., bothered me from the beginning, but it's hard to explain, the indescribable feeling of discomfort. Her smile, her emotions change in seconds, she has almost no eyebrows, but one of her eyebrows is constantly raised by her muscles, her expression is indescribable, her desperate, innocent and sickly side is very scary (but for some reason I also sympathize with her). I feel as if something sticky and gooey has stuck to my body and I can't get it off, and it's still there. I wonder if it's that HSP, or her super sensitivity made her act like that. And then there's that overly conservative home life and the German language, which somehow come together to make me feel uncomfortable. Breathing...nonono but overall, it was entirely different movie that gave me a sticky sensation of skin from the sight. ...Great movie...

Pearl is an absorbing character study of a woman who mentally and emotionally unravels, leading to devastating effects for those closest to her.

It is a well crafted story, cleverly peeling back the character of Pearl and providing a great contextualisation to the events of Ti West's X. That being said it totally stands up as a film in its own right for those who haven't seen X.

The highlight is the leading performance from Mia Goth. I just can't get over how good she is as Pearl. She is utterly compelling and gives one of the most intriguing and punchy performances I've seen. She is undoubtedly a star and is now one of those actors whose films I will always seek out as I know I'll be getting a magnetic performance. It shouldn't go unmentioned that the supporting cast (limited as they are) are all terrific, but this is Goth's show from start to end.

Ti West puts such a distinct and vibrant stamp on this film, he really directs the hell out it. It is visually arresting with a vivid colour palette and a retro, period feel to it all that works so well. Simply put I just loved looking at every second of this film. The music as well is superb. It sets the tone for the whole thing perfectly.

Ti West is well on his way to creating not only one of the best horror trilogies of all time, but perhaps one of the greatest trilogies full stop.

Tending to her ailing father, under the watch of her overbearing mother, Perl hopes to change her life and fulfil her dreams, but her repression clashes with her ambition with horrific consequences.

Ti West's cleverly realised tale oozes cinema, capturing the best of horror; but refreshingly fresh as he's done in previous works. It's not just Tobe Hooper's alligator, farmhouses and slasher setups, there's also echoes of a Lizzie Borden story too. Both prequel and origin story to Ti West's excellent X, Perl can also be viewed as a stand-alone film. With vibes of Psycho and the vivid colour of Wizard of Oz, Mia Goth controls every scene with an outstanding performance as damaged, chorus girl wannabe Perl. Set on 1918 both West and Goth's script reflects truths of a bygone era (without following paint by numbers expectation if you'd seen X). The cinematography, effects and score complement the dreams, delusions and murders as Perl longs to escape her secluded farm and caring chores.

The locations and sets give it an edge of quality, it feels like an expensive period piece at times especially when Perl visits the town. Amongst the farms animals and murder there's effortless monologues, Goth is award deserving delightful. With plenty going on under the skin in amongst the horror and theatrics the small cast ensemble is perfect. David Corenswet as the likeable rogue projectionist is memorable, Emma Jenkins-Purro as prim Mitsy is fantastic. Tandi Wright's Ruth, Perls mother has screen presence, along with Matthew Sunderland as Pearl's paralyzed father.

Ultimately, it's worth viewing for Goth's standout wicked performance alone, this coupled with West's direction make's for some murderous psychological screen gold.

Pearl.

Pearl is a prequel of "X" ,directed by Ti West.

The events take place in Pearl's parents farm, from where she wants to escape and follow her dreams to be a star.

This film's creators ,and here I'm talking especially about Ti West, worked cleverly by making a movie about a character's past in a very convincing way that leads to the first movie's events.

I really appreciate the references, the colors, all the set and locations . So for me, Directing was what I admired about this film and surprisingly Mia Goth's performance !

Mia did a great job once again playing this time a different character, a more complicated one and she nailed it .

I hope her work will be recognized.

I mean, what's the matter with Mia Goth! She still wants to be a star as Maxine and now as Pearl, Doesn't she's already a star !

Finally, this film made me uncomfortable, somehow made me sick actually.

Many who liked "X" will probably find themselves disappointed with this prequel, as it never comes close to reaching the levels of shock and intensity that the former reached.

In fact, "Pearl" isn't really a horror film at all (let alone a slasher), but rather a slow-paced descent-into-madness character study that uses it's brutal violence sparingly. And it's a great character study at that.

If you're ok with that, then you're in for a psychological treat.

Highest praise must be given to Mia Goth. She co-wrote the screenplay this time around and it's clear she understands the character profoundly. Her performance is terrifying. On a dime, she is able to flip from sweet & innocent to bloodthirsty & vengeful to remorseful and empathetic all within the same scene, sometimes even within the same shot.

It is, no hyperbole, one of the best lead performances I have ever seen in the genre.

When the protagonist of your story is a murdering psychopath, obviously there is a risk of alienating the audience. But that never happened because the script keeps all of Pearl's actions rooted in the festering grudges she holds toward her unfulfilling responsibilities and the subjectively monotonous life that she feels anchored to.

Pearl remains a sympathetic character because she is written as what a lot of us would become if we snapped and acted on every thought we had in our minds.

Lastly, the cinematography and other visual choices elevate the journey of madness we are following by adding surreal, otherworldly qualities to Pearl's fantasies that she indulges.

The only complaint that I have is that some of the dialogue could have done with a bit more polish. I understand that they were trying to mimic the over-the-top style of older films, but there were times when the spoken words felt cheesy when they should have had more power.

I was not expecting it to be as psychologically hard-hitting as it was. And what an emotional gut-punch of an ending that was.

It's a great film. Ti West's best work.

Pearl is feeling rather trapped, it's 1918 and she struggles to adapt, with an overbearing mother, immobile father she'd like to smother, it all makes her feel encaged, and somewhat handicapped. A projectionist has opened up her eyes, to a world that's full of wonder and surprise, no longer can she prolong, she needs to snare life with a prong, set the world alight, go out and fight, and learn to dance along. Alas a pearl is often formed from bits of grit, which can irritate and make you curse and spit, bring your demons to the fore, compound monotony of chore, revealing attributes you'd rather not admit.

Mia Goth is credited as co-writer, but her talents are clearly in acting and she should put the pen down. Her performance is ok as she croaks her way through the garbled dialogue (warning - constant vocal fry), but the movie is a dud.

The only positives are the production design and colour scheme. Everything else - editing, score, script, direction - all very weak.

The story itself (a small slice of Pearl's upbringing) is crazy boring, wallowing in the mundane with no concern for the audience or entertainment. I thought 'X' was a below average horror, yet Pearl is much, much worse. By the end I was struggling to stay awake and somewhat angry that this movie offered so little.

I've seen most of Ti West's movies now. All he can do is regurgitate that painfully retro-chic style, again and again. Absolutely no substance. This will be the last time I spend time and money on one of his films. What a rip off.

Saw an opening night screening of Pearl, and unfortunately the film is just not that good. It's not terrible, nor is it great. I had lower expectations already as I was not a big fan of "X" either, but Pearl does feel connected to the "X" universe, while somehow being even less exciting and more mundane. There's less gore and lower stakes for the story to accomplish.

The film also suffers greatly from slow pacing, making it feel much longer than it is. Mia Goth does deliver a good performance and the nostalgic atmosphere of the film is done fairly well (referencing Old Hollywood films both cinematically as well as musically), but it's just not enough to save the film as a whole. I'm sure those who loved "X" will like this, but in all honesty neither films are as masterful as some reviewers would lead you to believe.

I'll be completely honest, I am an idiot! I know that is strong however I may have made a mistake. I didn't realise that this film was a prequel/origin story to another film that came out earlier this year "X". I didn't even know that film existed until I googled this film after seeing it today.

Having not seen "X" or even realising that "Pearl" was connected to something else might have tainted my view of the film. I won't know until I've seen "X" I suppose.

I am mentioning all of the above because my complaints/problems with this film might be made redundant had I seen both films. "Pearl" had a killer trailer and add Mia Goth's awesome acting you've got be onboard. I'll admit I was excited for this film, even had expectations for it, being a A24 production. This was at the end of it a bit of a "meh" which I am gutted about! This film is oozing with potential. Mia Goth carries this film and is sublime. Directing, cinematography and story is all good and shows a hell of a lot of promise. However thats just it, promise/potential! Definitely felt a bit light in all the areas surrounding Mia Goth. Nothing felt that layered or delved into in more detail. What I'm basically trying to say is......I wanted MORE! More of everything! Longer runtime, more backstory, more characters, more story, more weirdness and definitely much more psychotic unnerving crazy Pearl !!!

Overall it felt not complete.........hence why I think watching "X" might improve my view on this film? To me anyway it was a very surface level film apart from Mia's performance which was multi layered, rich, detailed and complex. If only the rest of the film could match her !

60% out of 100 its still a good film but didn't hit the heights I was hoping/expecting it too !

Pearl should be praised for its visual presentation. It likens itself to that of Wizard of Oz and movies of that time, and very faithfully sticks that overall aesthetic. I also really loved the political undertones of the war and the Spanish Influenza and their influences, but not much else can be said to praise. Mia Goth is amazing as usual, and Ti West continues to prove that he is a talented voice behind the camera. The same can't be said for the writing and pacing.

In the end, it just felt very dragged out and extremely predictable. I get that it's a prequel, but nothing felt shocking or surprising. It just felt...boring, which is more of a sin than anything for a "horror" movie. I wasn't too crazy about X either. I'm glad Ti is getting the attention he deserves, and I am looking forward to see what he does next with this trilogy in Maxxxine, but I was very disappointed with Pearl. Horror is best when you go all out. This one felt very safe.

If you're looking for something exciting and unpredictable, go see Barbarian.

The story about a young girl's life descending into madness!

Pearl is an ambitious and bold work with art-house horror sensibilities from A24 and Tie West . Pearl isn't just good , it is fabulous .This weird hidden gem is an incredible twisted character study . Mia Goth burns very bright in her role as Pearl . She acts with unbridled "wild abandon" and is not afraid to declare her self to the word. Goth is a real power house and carries this slow burn of a film ; She deserves all the accolades and then some. Co-scripting with her director, Goth is the standout. I must know watch "X" as Pearl is a prequel to that film which is on my shelf in Blu-ray !!! P. S. This film reminds me of " Darling"

Pearl is a serious, deliriously messed-up psychodrama with an amazing musical score, period piece accurate 1917 wardrobe and vintage early cars Terrific cinematography and disturbing imagery . A heavily Stylized slasher with some suburb kills that yield some tantalizing gory effects. This film won me over as it starts off as a very slow burn ! As the character study progresses and also the performance of Pearls overbearing mother played by talented Tandi Wright ;I found the merit of the film sneaks up on you ! It is terrifically accomplished and horribly gripping . 8.5/10

Note: You must stay a watch the closing credits . It is excellent mind-f % $ k .The strained smile that Goth holds for more than three minutes behind the closing credits was a spur-of-the-moment inspiration from Ti West. He had planned to film her smiling and then choose a freeze-frame of the most unsettling shot, but at the last minute suggested "What if you hold a smile as long as you possibly can and let's see what happens?" They shot the smile, which "goes from comical to haunting to deeply disturbing the longer it continues," in one take.

First off, this is not a horror film. It is not.

Is it grotesque and gory? Yes. Scary? No.

Does this film have any Oscar-worthy performances, scenery, set design, or dialogue/monologues?

No.

Absolutely not.

The movie is really not that entertaining or even neat to look at.

It is nothing, if not a huge disappointment.

It only collects miles from the audience's knowledge that this very film was shot simultaneously while also making "X". Were this film to have truly arrived as it's meant to be here, and that is, first, prior to "X", not a prequel but a a free-standing solo property about Pearl long before "X" or any real knowledge of or about the movie, "X", then Pearl would be even less interesting and would gain even less of a following going into "X".

People watching Pearl are fans of "X", so, they're mostly bought in, already.

Pearl earns six stars based on the efforts and originality that is attempted and involved, not necessarily for any success due to these attempts.

It's trying really hard to look like a World War I era film.

It just doesn't quite do it.

Mia Goth is a good actress in this movie, she's a good actress in general but she's not great in this, and this material here is certainly not anything Oscar-worthy.

There are some solid performances from supporting cast.

David Corenswet as the projectionist, Matthew Sunderland, and Tandi Wright as Pearl's parents, all with stellar performances. Sunderland maybe most of all, for he is silent mostly while on screen but still delivers powerfully in his role.

This film strives to be a great many things but it ends up being great at none of those things.

Is it good for a one off?

Yeah, sure.

Should you watch if you wish to continue this announced trilogy? The third film, Maxxxine will take place in 1985 Hollywood. See the end credits scene at the conclusion of this film.

But the answer is yes.

So, at the end of this movie, you might be mildly entertained, slightly amused, but also totally grossed out.

Mia Goth is an excellent talent, and I expect her to have legendary success in Hollywood. Superb performance. Of course, each of us has his own prize. If I had the power, I would have gifted Mia Goth the Best Actress Oscar in 2022. An impressive performance, especially.... This takes us to before the movie X, where how Pearl grew up, the difficulties she faced, the cruelty of her mother, and her father's illness. Unfortunately, no one contained her. A more than wonderful movie, I recommend watching it. All of Mia Goth's films are great, but in my opinion, this film is the best and most wonderful in unleashing Mia Goth's brilliant talent.

Even at only 103 mins long, this felt much longer, as there just wasn't enough narrative to fill in the time. The pacing was a little slower than it should've been as well. I feel this may have been better as a short film. Unlike X, which was stellar all around, there just wasn't an engaging enough story to keep me glued to the screen. At some points, it became monotonous waiting for the next scene, hoping it was more engaging. But aside from the narrative, everything else was spot on, and a decent prequel to X. Goth's performance was top shelf, and the cinematography, direction and score were all great. But sadly, all that wasn't enough to fill in the lack of substance for the amazing style this film had to offer.

Nice color saturation and scenery.

Other than that I don't recall much, because I started giving myself a lobotomy 10 minutes into this.

Another over / under sexed white girl, with mental issues, looking for fame, to escape her tortured life. Yawn...

This could have been a number of other movies really. Except a number of those movies, I actually enjoyed.

Scary thing is, I've read how some people relate to this character... seek some type of mental health treatment if that is you...

This movie does offer some beautiful shots though, and I really did enjoy the color saturation.

Even if this twisted version of Dorthy was a total snooze fest.

'Pearl' was the film I expected, but not the one I wanted. That probably sounds like a strange statement but allow me to explain. Firstly, I was a big fan of 'X'. It was one of the best horror movies I've seen in a while. I'm also a big fan of Ti West. So why was I not eagerly anticipating 'Pearl'? I think it just wasn't a story I needed to see.

I think the character of Pearl in 'X' works better the less you know about her. An origin story wasn't necessary. There are some characters/stories that demand a prequel, but I didn't feel this was one of them. And the final product ultimately proved my point. It felt like a film that didn't quite need to exist.

The great thing though is that it gave Mia Goth another opportunity to share her talents. She really is a very talented actress. A monologue she gives late in this film is something I won't be forgetting anytime soon. That whole scene was amazing.

'Pearl' is a film that gets better as it goes along. It starts out a little slow and dull, however it finds its grove along the way and the last third is pretty good cinema. 6/10.

Movie is fully committed to it's early 19 hundreds theme and it does succeed in that by specialized colour use in visuals and excellent background setups. By doing so it manages to reproduce the horrors of the desolation in that era. The remoteness is very well pictured that the audience can relate to Pearl's frenzy which was masterfully enacted by Mia Goth. Pearl is a true horror story that's written to explore many different well-known occurrences in this genre, key is that this flick nails all of it. Story does a wonderful job in shaping up Pearl's character staying faithful to it's meaning.