Film Review - Pearl
Images courtesy of Madman Entertainment.
If you’re a fan of Pearl’s previous instalment X and expect it to have the same gritty, slasher, exploitation elements to the story, then you may have to limit your expectations for this film. Working on the initial premise of a psychopathic thriller, Pearl follows the progression of a young girl from being strange and enigmatic to a sadistic psychopath, but through exploring many insecurities by creating situations people may empathise with, the film slants towards artful meditation that may leave audiences walking away from the film with a sour taste in the mouth, or a higher appreciation for the art form.
The film can be split up into two distinct halves just like X, one half emphasising the romanticisation of the 1910s, and the other exploring the psychology of an adolescent Pearl during her “embracing of her shadow” as Carl Jung would say. We are introduced to her idiosyncrasies through Pearl’s actions on her family farm: how she has befriended the alligator in the lake by feeding it geese, her disliking of her suspected Nazi-supporting (or at least intensely patriotic) mother, and her complicated relationship with coming into her sexuality. In the second half of the film is where the majority of Mia Goth’s praise is coming from, displaying her ability to transform her character from an emotionally sheltered young girl to a sadistic killer, making Sissy Spacek as Carrie look like a B-movie performance in comparison (not bagging Carrie, remember, it is one of the greatest horror films of all time). The film takes place during the Spanish Flu and makes many references to the paranoia that the Covid-19 outbreak inspired - this could be perceived as relevant, but after the events of 2020 where the emotions are still raw, the reference seems too soon for comfort considering we are still suffering from its impacts.
Internet-goers on TikTok and Twitter have been comparing Goth’s portrayal as Pearl akin to the “female version of Joker (2019)” - an interesting comparison in terms of film history and originality, considering Joker's comparative lack of original ideas and proclivity for recycling plot points from existing films. Her performance is the display of a highly talented actor, but the film should work on the merit of its whole rather than its parts. There’s no denying that director Ti West is a cinema lover who can intertwine references into his stories without being overly obvious about it, but this could be the film's downfall, with a clear passion for many different genres but a failed attempt at putting the puzzle pieces together. Pearl isn’t a bloated art film trading fake merit for social credit, but it also doesn’t bring anything new to the genre that hasn’t already been explored by teen coming-of-age movies, Sophia Coppola, or 80% of teenage girls' TikTok accounts.
Overall, if you’re looking to find out more about the world of X and are keen to experience a character study of a young psychopath, then this could be your cup of tea. All cultural and film history issues aside, Pearl is at times long, chilling, unnerving, and emotional, making it the perfect date movie for a romantic evening out… just make sure to eat after you see the film.
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Pearl is screening in cinemas from Thursday 16th March. For tickets and more info, click here.