Pearl Review

Pearl (2022)

Directed by: Ti West

Based on a Southern farm in 1918, our titular character Pearl is a syrupy sweet farm girl who yearns to be a star. But with her husband overseas in the war and an ailing father, her duties to her family’s farm hinder her fantasies from coming to fruition. It doesn’t take long to notice that Pearl most certainly has one..or many…screws loose.

We know at any moment Pearl is about to spiral into full fledged insanity, and you don’t need to have seen “X” to know that. Mia Goth roars through her emotions full throttle, from yearning farm girl to disturbed psychopath in milliseconds; her outbursts jolt out of her before she has the chance to reign it in. Pearl's facade is made out of glass, even pointed out by her mother, that her fantasy world is not as hidden as she thinks. Everyone knows what she is capable of, and that only infuriates her more. She wants to be a performer but can’t even pull off her own charade.

Pearl wears different masks depending on who she is with, doling out little bits and pieces (literally) of her true self to those she begins to trust. Unfortunately, her true self isn’t very likable to anyone in her orbit (I obviously adore her!), resulting in further isolation in an already secluded existence. Her loneliness is crushing, but we don’t buy that tear stricken pout.

I am now committed to watching whatever Mia Goth is in. I don’t care for the arguments on her versatility (or lack thereof) - I’ll watch as many iterations of her playing unhinged, deranged women and probably won’t ever get tired of it. With its bright palette and a cartoonish burlesque of murder, Pearl has stolen the hearts of Twitter users and aesthetic chasers everywhere. But story wise, this film lacks. Pearl herself is so hard to look away from that it keeps us there, but the adherence to the typical slasher film formula failed to make a meaningful mark or cook up anything new.

However, it is such a treat to watch Mia do her thing, I will certainly be tuning in for the sequel. Mia Goth, you are certainly a star.