Pearl

She-Joker. Meticulously crafted in psychological terms, Pearl is an interesting and polished profile of an unstable asocial that crosses the same boundaries that the award-winning hit with Joaquin Phoenix did. The setting with a hillbilly family in a house in rural Texas is even more appealing to me. In fact, Ti West suggests here how idyllic the origins of other famous Texas families could have looked... The kitschy fairy-tale-like retro-stylization contrasts with the dark tones of the soundtrack, indicating the presence of a hidden evil and gradually paving the way for the outburst of that evil. The main character delights fans of the genre not only with a pitchfork and axe in hand, but also with a long one-shot confession about her own shattered mental state. Mia Goth is great. And the audiovisual flashes of Kubrick and Hitchcock... Pearl is a formalistic delight for those who are interested. (06/11/2022)

Some people say that a film is as good as its villain, and, Pearl is a perfect example. Mia Goth is amazing, on a small space she can play a naive girl, a broken woman, a demon-ridden bitch and a total psychopath, she has all of that in her acting register. Her almost ten-minute confession at the end, filmed in one take, blew my mind. Moreover, it's all supported by a script that flows naturally, has a logical development and almost reaches the level of Phoenix's Joker in terms of psychology. And the visual games with the camera, the opening with classical music in the style of good old Hollywood! I'm just shocked that after the botched X, Ti West was able to create something like this. This is a little horror treat, made with love and art, aimed at film connoisseurs. (26/06/2023)

After the fairly accomplished retro slasher X, Ti West delivers a Technicolor nightmare that absolutely works in its (intentional) kitsch. Unlike the previous film, Pearl is not predictable and avoids genre tropes, and Mia Goth proves once again that she is an incredibly energetic presence in contemporary genre cinema. (28/05/2023)

X wasn't exactly stellar, so I didn't set my expectations high for this prequel, only to be pleasantly surprised in the end. While I can't say I was thrilled, I must admit that Ti West delivered a significantly better piece of work this time. I hesitate to label this movie as a horror with a clear conscience; it felt more like a dive into the psyche of an unconventional American country girl, struggling with her ambitions and other issues. Not that she put much effort into fighting them back, mind you. There was definitely an improvement compared to the previous/next film, mainly because I didn't feel the need to hit the fast-forward button this time. I wonder if Mia Goth's involvement in the screenplay contributed to this improvement; it certainly seemed that way from my perspective. But who's to say for sure, right? I would easily tack on an extra star, but the creators shouldn't be so overconfident. They really ought to bring in some advisors on handling an axe during filming. Watching Pearl, who's supposedly lived her whole life on a farm, handle an axe like a virgin was painful. The same person could probably explain to the crew that an axe blade leaves distinct marks on the human body, unlike those made by a surgical saw. Yep, the devil's in the details. / Lesson learned: If you're using farm tools to chase your dreams, you're probably going too far. (27/10/2023)

A treat, but be prepared for it to be a completely different film than X. While the first film in the series referenced dirty exploitation classics, this one is more of a beautifully colourful naive drama, with nasty perversion and depravity bubbling under the surface. Mia Goth in the lead role is great, pulling it off with aplomb, the clear highlight of the film being her lengthy monologue shortly before the end. For me, compared to X, weaker as horror, but better as a film. (21/10/2022)