In 2022, Ti West released Pearl ‘The Xtraordinary Origin Story’ to his movie X. Pearl is a rated R drama, horror, and thriller movie taking place in 1918. Earning a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, a movie critic website, the film is generally considered a great portrait of insanity, repression and obsessive ambition.
The film follows a young woman named Pearl, played by Mia Goth, as she lives on her parent’s farm, caring for her father while her husband Howard is a soldier in World War I. Throughout the movie, Pearl yearns for a life outside of the farm. She sneaks out to watch films at the cinema, as she aspires to become a dancer. In her endeavors, Pearl enters an affair with the projectionist at the cinema causing some issues at home and for her own mental health. As the film progresses it becomes more apparent that Pearl is an odd woman who borderlines psychotic and is motivated entirely by her desire to live off the farm and is willing to do anything to achieve the life she believes she deserves.
Mia Goth’s acting in Pearl perfectly portrays the excellent story of her character’s life, as her emotions on screen are so raw and powerful that they seem unsettlingly realistic, encapsulating every aspect of her motives and dreams by expression alone. Mia Goth holds a strong disturbing smile for nearly two minutes as the credits roll, and tears stream down her face. This powerful performance concludes the film perfectly.
The movie cleverly utilizes color to portray emotions as well throughout the progression of Pearl’s character. The first portion of the movie, Pearl is wearing a blue shirt and jean overalls and overall, a melancholic wardrobe symbolizing her hatred for her current situation. However, during the climax of the film she is wearing a bold red dress, symbolic of her passion for dance and her rage of her situation.
Pearl is a phenomenal movie with incredible acting, storytelling, and excellent symbolism in color while still being a slasher-horror guaranteed to get viewers hooked on suspense of what will happen as she spirals into insanity on the farm.
