Pearl is a technicolour nightmare

In Pearl, Ti West takes us back to a time when the world teetered on the edge of sanity, much like its protagonist. The film, a prequel to X, is a Technicolor fever dream set in 1918, a period drenched in the dual dread of World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Pearl, played with mesmerizing intensity by Mia Goth, lives on a Texas farm with her stern German-born mother (Tandi Wright) and her incapacitated father (Matthew Sunderland). Her husband is off fighting in the war, leaving Pearl with nothing but her dreams of stardom and a crippling sense of isolation.

From the moment the film begins, it plunges us into Pearl’s vivid, twisted world. The lush, almost surreal colours evoke the golden age of Hollywood, creating a stark contrast to the grim reality of her life. It’s a visual treat, as if Dorothy’s Oz were painted with a more sinister brush, where every slightly too bright shade of colour hints at the darkness lurking beneath. Pearl’s aspirations of becoming a star are as bright as the film’s palette, yet her path is paved with blood and madness, a descent that Mia Goth portrays with chilling brilliance.

Goth’s performance is the film’s lifeblood, infusing Pearl with a tragic depth. She oscillates between wide-eyed innocence and terrifying derangement, her every gesture and expression a testament to her acting prowess. Even when Pearl’s actions become grotesque, Goth ensures we cannot look away, captivating us with a character who is both victim and villain. It’s a masterclass in embodying a complex character, making Pearl’s descent into madness both inevitable and profoundly unsettling.

The narrative unfolds with a deliberate pace, allowing us to soak in every nuance of Pearl’s deteriorating psyche. Each interaction she has, whether with her overbearing mother, a charming projectionist (David Corenswet, soon to be seen as the new Superman), or her naive sister-in-law (Emma Jenkins-Purro), adds another layer to her unravelling. These moments are fraught with underlying dread, and West’s meticulous direction ensures that the tension builds slowly but surely, leading to a crescendo of carnage that’s as inevitable as it is shocking.

Pearl’s deliberate, slow-burn approach might test the patience of viewers accustomed to more traditional horror pacing but West and Goth are revelling in a luxuriant character study, and to hell with the expense of narrative momentum. There are moments when the film feels more like an exploration of Pearl’s mind than a cohesive story, and while this adds immeasurable depth, it can also make the experience feel disjointed.

Moreso than its predecessor, Pearl is a standout psychological thriller, drawing comparisons to the likes of Blue Velvet with its idyllic facades hiding sinister depths. It captures the essence of period horror, not through cheap thrills, but through an immersive atmosphere and a profoundly detailed character sketch. The film’s score, by Tyler Bates and Tim Williams, adds to this atmosphere, weaving melodies that linger long after the credits roll.

Pearl is a hauntingly beautiful film, a heightened reality nightmare that delves deep into the dark recesses of ambition and madness. Mia Goth and Ti West have crafted a narrative that is both unsettling and visually stunning, proving that sometimes the scariest monsters are those that seem the most innocuous.