X took the horror community by storm in early 2022, revitalising the slasher genre by paying homage to classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was no frills exploitative fun, but done with a keen eye for making everything look sensational, and housed some excellent performances from the likes of Mia Goth.
Tucked away in the end credits was a teaser for an X prequel, Pearl, that had been filmed alongside X. Released in the US in September 2022, Pearl has certainly taken its time to cross the Atlantic for exhibition in the UK, and even then it seems to be a limited release only! I managed to catch an early preview ahead of its release, and I have to say it’s not what I was expecting.
It is 1918 and Pearl (Mia Goth) lives on a farm in Texas with her German immigrant mother (Tandi Wright) and paralysed father (Matthew Sunderland). World War I is drawing to a close, and Spanish Influenza pandemic has been declared. Having dreamed of being a dancer like she has seen at the movie theatre, Pearl feels trapped on the farm, awaiting the return of her husband, Howard (Alistair Sewell) from the war.
When Pearl begins a friendship with the theatre projectionist (David Corenswet), he opens her eyes to a world beyond Texas, and Pearl is prepared to kill to escape the mundanity of her life.
Where X was a straightforward slasher movie, Pearl is a deep character study of what can turn someone into a cold blooded killer.
Based on the trailer shown at the end of X, I had anticipated Pearl to be a very similar film, but it couldn’t be more different unless it belonged to a totally different genre. Pearl is still a slasher movie, but the focus is so far removed from the killing that they don’t stand out the same way that they do in X. It's borderline fairytale, reminiscent of films like The Wizard of Oz and the Golden Age of Disney animation, but twisted and all wrong.
The inclusion of the Spanish flu pandemic made the film feel less like a period piece too. In fact it felt almost like a commentary of COVID-19, with the masks and social panic that came along with it. This relevance to modern times gives Peral have a relatively timeless quality, despite it very much harkening back to a hundred years ago, and it's a unique balance to strike.
Tucked away in the end credits was a teaser for an X prequel, Pearl, that had been filmed alongside X. Released in the US in September 2022, Pearl has certainly taken its time to cross the Atlantic for exhibition in the UK, and even then it seems to be a limited release only! I managed to catch an early preview ahead of its release, and I have to say it’s not what I was expecting.
It is 1918 and Pearl (Mia Goth) lives on a farm in Texas with her German immigrant mother (Tandi Wright) and paralysed father (Matthew Sunderland). World War I is drawing to a close, and Spanish Influenza pandemic has been declared. Having dreamed of being a dancer like she has seen at the movie theatre, Pearl feels trapped on the farm, awaiting the return of her husband, Howard (Alistair Sewell) from the war.
When Pearl begins a friendship with the theatre projectionist (David Corenswet), he opens her eyes to a world beyond Texas, and Pearl is prepared to kill to escape the mundanity of her life.
Where X was a straightforward slasher movie, Pearl is a deep character study of what can turn someone into a cold blooded killer.
Based on the trailer shown at the end of X, I had anticipated Pearl to be a very similar film, but it couldn’t be more different unless it belonged to a totally different genre. Pearl is still a slasher movie, but the focus is so far removed from the killing that they don’t stand out the same way that they do in X. It's borderline fairytale, reminiscent of films like The Wizard of Oz and the Golden Age of Disney animation, but twisted and all wrong.
The inclusion of the Spanish flu pandemic made the film feel less like a period piece too. In fact it felt almost like a commentary of COVID-19, with the masks and social panic that came along with it. This relevance to modern times gives Peral have a relatively timeless quality, despite it very much harkening back to a hundred years ago, and it's a unique balance to strike.
Goth’s performance alone makes this film a must watch. She is utterly captivating, and whilst she was definitely good in her double roll in X (as both protagonist Maxine and an elderly Pearl), here in Pearl she is so powerful that everything gravitates around her.
I really loved seeing Goth’s performance evolve from troubled farmers daughter who enjoys torturing animals, to a fearsome murderer. It all builds to a magnificent crescendo where Goth delivers a powerful single-take monologue where she lays bare everything that has happed to her, and because of her, since Howard left for war. The final shot is also incredibly unsettling, and the way the camera lingers far too long as the credits roll is a testament to Goth’s incredible acting talent.
Pearl is visually indicative of the Golden Age of Hollywood, but given the Sheen and depth of modern filmmaking. I’m not sure what camera we’re used for filming, but there seems to be a gentle light flicker visible throughout, as if emulating that this had been shot on old movie cameras.
I remember reading that films like The Wizard of Oz were an influence on West for Pearl, and you can certainly see that in the colour palette. For the most part it’s a technicolour wonder with bright colours that really pop out of the screen, but over time this distorts and is taken over by much darker colours and giving everything a more sinister look.
Pearl was not the film I was expecting, but I really enjoyed the film I got. For fans of X, it’s wise to brace yourself for such a significant gear shift into a character focused melodrama. Pearl looks and behaves different to almost any other horror movie I’ve ever seen, and it’s one that I’ll remember for a long time to come. Pearl proves that X was not an isolated success and that West has tapped into a veritable goldmine with his X trilogy, now for the unbearably long wait for the grand finale, Maxxxine.
I really loved seeing Goth’s performance evolve from troubled farmers daughter who enjoys torturing animals, to a fearsome murderer. It all builds to a magnificent crescendo where Goth delivers a powerful single-take monologue where she lays bare everything that has happed to her, and because of her, since Howard left for war. The final shot is also incredibly unsettling, and the way the camera lingers far too long as the credits roll is a testament to Goth’s incredible acting talent.
Pearl is visually indicative of the Golden Age of Hollywood, but given the Sheen and depth of modern filmmaking. I’m not sure what camera we’re used for filming, but there seems to be a gentle light flicker visible throughout, as if emulating that this had been shot on old movie cameras.
I remember reading that films like The Wizard of Oz were an influence on West for Pearl, and you can certainly see that in the colour palette. For the most part it’s a technicolour wonder with bright colours that really pop out of the screen, but over time this distorts and is taken over by much darker colours and giving everything a more sinister look.
Pearl was not the film I was expecting, but I really enjoyed the film I got. For fans of X, it’s wise to brace yourself for such a significant gear shift into a character focused melodrama. Pearl looks and behaves different to almost any other horror movie I’ve ever seen, and it’s one that I’ll remember for a long time to come. Pearl proves that X was not an isolated success and that West has tapped into a veritable goldmine with his X trilogy, now for the unbearably long wait for the grand finale, Maxxxine.