Directed by Ti West
Written by Ti West, Mia Goth
Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Emma Jenkins-Purro, Tandi Wright
Rated R for some strong violence, gore, strong sexual content and graphic nudity.
Runtime: 102 minutes
In theaters September 16

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Note: This review contains spoilers for X.

I love slashers, and as a fan one of the main aspects that works for me is the mystery of the killers. The lack of motive, the calm demeanor, the inhuman resolve to be a killing machine, these are all fascinating to me. But it also means these characters can be inaccessible. So what if we could get to know the killer? What if we actually had empathy for them and maybe even related to them on some guttural level? While taking the mystery out does not always work, it is clear Ti West and Mia Goth felt a lot of love for the aging killer of X, so much so that they gave her a chance to shine in their character study, Pearl. Through Pearl we experience a unique time and place in history while also delving deep into one of the most fascinating killers in recent slashers.

Pearl follows the title character whom we meet in X as an aging woman who goes on an unlikely killing spree. This story takes place in 1918 and we meet Pearl (reprised by Mia Goth) as a young woman who aspires to be a star in the pictures. While she wants nothing more than to follow her dreams, she is tied down to her family farm taking care of her father with severe disabilities and taking on the chores her religious mother doles out. She hopes that when her husband comes back from the war he will take her away from this place but she grows restless. When an opportunity to join a dance troupe comes up, Pearl jumps at the chance to leave her farm life behind but there are those who wish to get in her way, awakening a violent rage in the wannabe starlett.

Like many people who saw X in theaters, I was stunned when the film ended with a trailer for a prequel entitled Pearl began. Still high on the pure excitement of X I could not wait for the prequel, even though I had no idea what to expect out of it. I sat in my seat and as the lights went down and Pearl began to play a smile creeped onto my face that did not go away the rest of the night. The pure delight and joy I felt watching Pearl is something I have not felt in sometime. It is starkly different from X but also manages to be a perfect companion piece. While being an effective horror movie, it also emulates the joy of early cinema with its Technicolor look. But more than anything, Pearl is a fun yet moving character study of a person struggling to find happiness.

While there are plenty of interesting concepts and themes that the film sews into its story, it all hinges on the incredible performance of Mia Goth and the care that went into creating the character Pearl. Goth shows off her acting chops by showing us a character that faces inexplicable hardships while also dealing with a growing darkness inside of her. In one scene–a long take of Pearl confiding in a friend–the unhinged killer we’ve been watching opens up about her concern that she is not right and does not fit in the world. It is a shocking scene that is tonally different from much of the story but makes Pearl feel like a fully-fleshed out person. Her fears and anxieties about belonging and loneliness are ones felt by many of us, myself included. And while empathizing with a killer might seem like a strange choice, as it blurs the lines between right and wrong, as well as good and bad. Pearl holds a variety of urges, thoughts, and emotions that sometimes conflict with each other but ultimately holds all of them. Which is one of the most human paradoxes of all.

Through Pearl we see the magic of early cinema, the struggles of a second generation immigrant, the loneliness of having a husband away at war, and the unshakeable belief of someone set on following their dreams. Her complexities make her scary, beautiful, relatable, and an entertaining character to follow. Several moments in the film linger on Goth’s face longer than it should, showing the cracks in her facade. These moments make her feel like a tragic figure as opposed to the violent monster the world sees her as. We spend the entire film with her so we see the confrontations with her strict, religious mother, and the way people look at her like she’s crazy. Pearl’s enthusiasm and drive make us cheer her on. And her very personal and bloody journey reflects much of America at the time as well as the similar struggles we are currently living through. I did not expect the Spanish flu plotline lingering in the backdrop but it is easy to draw the comparisons with the pandemic we are living through now.

I was dazzled by Pearl both as a character and as a story. Goth's performance highlights the incredible talent the actor holds and the lengths she will go to breathe life into a character. Pearl could have just been a killer that we saw in X, but instead she becomes something much more complex, interesting, and terrifying. And the film around her blends together the magic of The Wizard of Oz, the gore of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the humor of Pink Flamingos. Ti West is back in a big way, and as of yesterday has announced the third installment of this series, Maxxxine. I cannot wait to see how it will fit into this trilogy and what more West and Goth have to say on Hollywood, women, porn, and horror.

Pearl is a Technicolor nightmare that proves how essential good characters are in our storytelling. I can still feel the residual joy of watching this in theaters and the tenderness the movie has for Pearl. And I am thrilled for the discussion and discourse West’s newest film will bring to the horror community.