Spoilers will go old school.

The conception of this film started during the filming of X (2022), but this one’s known to be a prequel. To be honest, it’s not blatantly obvious that these are tied together or that Mia Goth was playing two roles in the previous film. The tenuous connection allows for some liberties here, but this one is more of a slow burn descent into madness than horror. Anyhow, someone feed the gator and then we’ll go in.

(Credit: A24)

Pearl (2022) was written and directed by Ti West. Our titular character, Pearl (Mia Goth), does live on the same farm, but we’re going all the way to 1900’s Texas. She endures her very strict and disapproving mother Ruth (Tandi Wright) and her convalescent and paralyzed father (Matthew Sunderland). To escape the boredom, she kills animals and feeds her to Theda (alligator, real name withheld). It’s obvious that Pearl is not all there and dreams of a life far away like she sees in the movies. When her sister-in-law Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Purro) tells her about an audition to find new dancers, she jumps at the chance even if she knows her mother will disapprove. It doesn’t look like her mother approves of anything she does anyways.

It’s obvious from the very beginning that this will not end well. Pearl’s dull life is only punctuated with disturbing behaviour around the farm and cruelty to her unresponsive father, which are all red flags that she’s been winding up for bloody mayhem. The very few rays of light she gets from the movies seem like her only saving graces. Once she meets a potential love interest in the local projectionist (David Corensweat) and starts to fashion herself a future you know that her fragile psyche is about to snap. When that happens, everything and everyone ignoring the warning signs will not have time to run.

It works a lot more like a slow burn villain origin story than an actual horror flick. The setting itself does bring out some more substance, but once the bodies start piling up the entire worth is on Mia Goth’s performance. It does seem to have at least a more consistent theme and flow, but less of a kick. The filmmakers do deserve praise for adopting that classic look of the era, that Technicolor style. That being said, it has very little to no surprises.

Lightly recommended with reservations. The cinematography is very reminiscent of bright and cheery films of the classic golden era of Disney and Mia Goth’s performance does carry the movie. It doesn’t have the pulpy horror tension of X, which is a refreshing change as the filmmaker tries a different style. Overall, you can go for a watch to complete the set before the direct sequel Maxxxine, comes out.

That will do for now.