Pearl | Film Review

This is the prequel to the A24 film 'X', which I reviewed HERE. I liked X (though I needed to watch it twice to really get it), so I was looking forward to seeing Pearl.

Pearl (Mia Goth) is stuck on her family's farm, tending to her father and fulfilling her mother's wishes, but she can't ignore her dreams. Soon Pearl realises that to make her dreams a reality, she must escape the life she's living.

I liked this a lot, probably more than I liked X. I didn't know what to expect, so was pleasantly surprised.

Even at the beginning of the film when not much is happening, it's a really entertaining watch.

There is an undertone of fear and tension that runs through the entire film, but it takes a while to really feel like a horror. And even then, for me it never got into 'scary horror' and always sat more within dramatic thriller or even non-scary slasher territory.

Pearl is a really interesting character. I loved seeing what turned her into the character she became in X, but I also liked this self-contained version of her. She was so much fun to watch and you really start rooting for her.

Mia Goth carries the film so well and does a great job with the character. Again, I think she was better in this than she was in X.

It's really well written. We as the audience can understand, sympathise with and root for Pearl despite her falling deeper and deeper into villainy.

The ending shot over the credits was amazing. It shows how good Goth is as an actress, but also just completely captures the tone of the movie. I feel like watching that shot before anything else will tell you whether or not you'll enjoy the movie.

Overall, this was a really good movie. If you've seen X and weren't sure about it, or if you've never seen X, I'd definitely recommend this one!

7.5/10