“Pearl” is the prequel film to the slasher film, “X,” which was released earlier this year, and is the origin story of its antagonist. The film does a pretty good job at giving her character an explanation through the story told. 

Pearl differentiates itself from its predecessor. “X” is more of a horror slasher, while this is more of a drama-slasher hybrid. Consider the film a period piece, as it is set in 1918 during the Spanish Flu, and all the elements of the time period are well represented here. The costumes are excellent for representing the times. The makeup, colors and opening and closing titles take a slightly modernized approach to the late 1910’s. 

The music is not necessarily too memorable except for a few points in the film, like the aforementioned credit scenes. The cinematography does not feel too new as it greatly resembles “X.” However, this could be a part of director Ti West’s (“The House of the Devil”) vision, so it gets a pass. On the other hand, the colors look brighter and newer, thus making the visuals seem fresh. Overall, the film looks nice for what it is. 

Praise should also be given to the writers to made it all work. The film is co-written by the star of the movie, Mia Goth (“Emma”), along with West. For a prequel, they hit the nail on the head for the origin story. It is well explained and keeps the audience engaged throughout the film. Pearl’s motives are very well-established. However, sometimes the writing can feel a little bit one dimensional and can get a little predictable. It also feels like the narrative is going through a bulleted list, slightly jumbling the story. Scenes can be a little bit laughable, though few of those are even a bit intentional 

As for Goth, the star kills it as Pearl. She has many different standout moments, including an incredible monologue and a perfect way of capturing the disturbing presence and nature to her character. Goth is the best part of the film and it would not really be the same without her. Another standout is Tandi Wright (“Love and Monsters”) as Pearl’s mother, Ruth. Wright and her character are the scariest part of the film, though she stays the same throughout. The build up of Ruth and Pearls’ relationship is good, and also can be relatable in a weird way. The static character of the mother makes for a really easy-to-guess progression of said relationship and takes away from the effect. The other performances are also pretty good, but the performance of the projectionist, played by David Corenswet (“Look Both Ways”) is very middle of the road and is noticeably lower quality compared to the other performances. 

The slasher elements are really gory and hard to watch, but in the best possible way for the genre. Fans of “X” may not be disappointed by “Pearl” as it gets a little more creative with its more brutal aspects. Audiences that have not seen the first film will get something out of it and horror fans will be satisfied by its chilling slasher sequences and works as a great standalone, watch-with-friends kind of film.

Image from A24 via YouTube