Director Ti West and creative partner Mia Goth return with this thrilling prequel to seventies set slasher X. Set in rural Texas during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, Pearl (Mia Goth) is a young woman longing to escape her joyless life on the family farm. Her German mother (Tandi Wright) is emotionally cruel, constantly berating Pearl for having her head in the clouds. Pearl's father (Matthew Sutherland) has been left paralysed after suffering a stroke, powerless to prevent the madness and bloodshed that later ensues.
With her husband Howard away at war, Pearl dreams of a different and more glamorous life. Secret trips to the local cinema ignite her dreams of stardom and becoming a dancer in the movies, all Pearl wants is to be loved and adored. She soon embarks on a fling with the handsome projectionist who encourages her to follow her dreams and attend the dance audition at the local church. Little does he know of the murderous lengths she will go to in order to make her dreams a reality.
While X was a gruesome homage to the sleazy exploitation horror movies of the 70s, Pearl is a wonderful blend of old-fashioned melodrama and psychological horror. West has built a rich and colourful world, one that's a clear nod to the golden age of cinema. But despite the technicolour visuals, there's darkness and depravity lurking underneath with Pearl's behaviour becoming increasingly deranged and disturbing.
Goth's performance as Pearl is extraordinary as she unleashes a monster that is both vulnerable and full of rage. Goth peals back the layers of Pearl's childlike innocence and naivety, delving into themes of isolation, loneliness, repressed sexual desire and an obsession with fame and stardom. It's a testament to Goth's talent that we feel empathy for Pearl despite the awful things that she has done, more so in the final scene, where she confesses all of her murderous misdeeds to her horrified sister-in-law. Shot in one take, it's a confession that's full of horror, sorrow and self-acceptance, cementing the film as a brilliant character study of a truly terrifying villain.
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