Review: Pearl

Image courtesy of A24.

In a year full of solid horror movies, director Ti West's "X" remains among the best. Shortly following the release of that film - which follows a film crew making a porno in the late 1970s as it is savagely murdered by a crazy old woman named Pearl (Mia Goth) and her equally wacko husband in rural Texas - it was announced that West had already made a prequel and that another sequel known as "MaXXXine," which will be set in the 1980s, would be next.

The concept of a horror trilogy with indie roots sounded intriguing, especially after the success of "X," so it's disappointing to note that the prequel - "Pearl," which is set in 1918 and focuses solely on how the evil old woman from the first picture became that way - is mostly unnecessary and one-note, despite a committed - and often deranged - leading performance by Goth and some solid period details.

In the film, Pearl is a lonely young woman living on a farm with her overbearing, harsh German mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright), and invalid father. Pearl's husband, Howard (who assists her in her killings in "X") is away due to World War I, so Pearl spends much of her time tending to their farm, but also enjoys sneaking into the town to watch silent films, much to her mother's displeasure.

Pearl dreams of becoming a movie star herself - that is, when she's not stabbing ducks with a pitchfork and feeding them to her alligator "friend" off the dock near her home - but these dreams are sneered at by Ruth, who tells Pearl she is destined to fail. But Pearl sees a possibility of escape when her husband's blonde sister, Misty (Emma Jenkins-Purro), tells her about a dance competition in the town that could lead to the winner being cast in a movie.

Meanwhile, Pearl strikes up a friendship that eventually turns sexual with a cad of a projectionist (David Corenswet), who claims he'll take her to Europe where she'll share his bohemian lifestyle. He also shows her stag films and gets a little creepy when he tells her he'd like to see her star in such a movie. 

Needless to say, as things begin to go south for Pearl and her dreams of escape, those around her pay with their lives. Pearl is a bit imbalanced - and despite the projectionist being a jerk, it's difficult not to share his opinion that Pearl is a bit scary, especially when she screams at people until her eyes appear they're about to pop out.

There are some technical details in the film that make it rise above the typical genre outing - for example, the great use of Technicolor-type visuals and a sweeping, old-fashioned score, although both would be more at home in a 1950s picture, and not so much one set during World War I.

Goth gives a disturbingly effective performance, whether it's during the final shot of her face as she holds a creepy smile that ranks with the best of them, or taking part in a lengthy monologue in which the camera holds closely on her face as she unburdens herself to someone who'll later wished they hadn't offered to lend an ear.

But otherwise, "Pearl" is a mostly by-the-numbers story of how a psychopath became the way they are. In fact, the film plays exactly as one might expect a generic origin story about the killer of "X" might play out. Other than some stylistic touches and Goth's impressive work, this is a movie that seemingly only exists because the filmmakers appeared to have a good time making one film and decided to make another to keep the party going. Alas, it doesn't quite do that. "Pearl" has its moments, but it's not nearly as good as the film that came before it.