It's just fifteen days until it's officially November, and I’m really looking forward to binge-watching horror movies once our break starts. But before that horror binge-watching, I’ll first watch stories that are less horror—probably just the macabre ones, and that’s why last Saturday I watched Pearl. I already heard about it a lot of times, but honestly, I still have no clue what it's all about, so I gave it a try, and yes…it’s indeed a grim one. I thought it would be just a crime thriller movie, yet it somehow exceeded my expectations. I finished it the same day, and I also rewatched it earlier. That’s why, without further ado, I’ll now share with you a short peek at the life of a farmgirl who dreams of being a star, but is she really destined to be one?
About the Movie
Pearl is a 2022 drama and thriller movie that was directed Ti West and was written also by him and Mia Goth. It follows the story of Pearl, a farmgirl with grand dreams. She likes dancing and performing, yet due to her responsibilities, she had no choice but to let those dreams sit for a while. Tending her sick father and helping out in the farm duties have been a tedious routine for her; however, everything will change once she met the charming projectionist. He became the glimmer of hope for Pearl's plan to escape her miserable life. Despite that she’s married, they had an affair, but that was short-lived because the moment he discovered who she really is—he started to fear her, and she knows it because she feels things deeply.
She just wanted to be loved. Why can’t it be that simple? Little by little, Pearl realized that she needed to chase her dream, and she couldn’t chase it with all the attachments she had. Driven with mad desperation, jealousy, and loneliness, she does everything to cut all the binds that kept her from chasing it. Yet despite all of the things—the terrible, awful, and murderous things she had done—hard reality slapped her at the end. It was too late when she realized that not all dreamers are meant to achieve their dreams, for some just need to make the best of what they have. And she’s one of them.
When I first finished watching it, I was left speechless. I don’t know what to feel because my mind was still reeling from how mad she is. I couldn’t say she’s apathetic because she does feel emotions, only that she seemed to have no real compassion toward other living things other than herself. In short, she’s selfish and evidently twisted. Moving on from that, aside from her odd character, what also made me hooked up in this movie is its nice cinematography. Despite the vivid colors that were featured in the sceneries, the settings still emanate that strange and unsettling vibe. It like behind its beautiful facade lies a grim truth, and I like how it heightened the thrill and matched the theme of the story.
This movie felt like a narrative that’s split into two perspectives—Pearl’s dream and her reality. Her delusions felt like it’s straight out of the movie, the same as she imagined. It was fascinating how they’re able to integrate the visual and background sounds to make those scenes dreamy. And as for her reality, it all feels raw and jarring. I’m not really fond of seeing worms and decaying corpses, and also, it didn’t help that I was eating my lunch while watching it. So, it was pretty much a gut-wrenching experience for me, but still, I was able to finish and even rewatch it, so I guess that doesn’t made me lose my interest in it.
What really amazed me in this movie is how the actors and actresses portrayed their roles—especially Mia Goth, who played Pearl. Her monologue at the end of the movie was definitely memorable for me because even though all she’s spouting seemed like that of a mad woman, I still felt sympathy for her. Yes, she’s mad and twisted, but I can’t deny the fact that fate was cruel to her. Although it wasn’t a valid reason to go on a mass killing spree, but still, that cruel fate kinda drove out the remaining humanity in her. Also, I wanted to praise the performance of her father, even though he didn’t utter any lines—still, that crying scene at the end made a mark in my mind.
Overall, watching Pearl wasn’t exactly what I would describe as an enjoyable experience, and I knew it was made not to be one either. It has horror in its genre, but I’m not terrified...instead, I felt sad after watching it. That lullaby at the end still haunts my ears because it just felt too melancholic and heartbreaking. I don’t know, but I felt sad because I know there are also Pearls out there who are striving to achieve their dreams only to know at the end that those dreams aren’t meant to be realized…ok, ok, enough with the sentiments, I’m gonna rate my whole viewing experience as an 8/10. I know this review was extremely personal, but I do hope it give you a gist of what this whole movie is all about.
And before I end this review, I'll share with you its trailer, so—
Have you watched this movie before? Or is this your first time reading about it? Well, if you have something to share, then feel free to comment. Thanks for staying with me until here, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading my review. That’s all for now everyone, and see you around!
The pictures that didn't have a source were screenshots I took while watching the movie.