Pearl - the picture-perfect madness
- Viktoria
- Feb 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 18
Director: Ti West
Year of release: 2022
Country of origin: New Zealand, United States
Spoiler status: Light spoiler
Sub-genre: Psychological horror
Pearl is a visually stunning psychological horror. Usually, this sub-genre is characterized by a lack of bright color, harsh contrast between light and dark, and looming shadows. When it comes to this movie, that's not the case. The scenes are colorful and lively, and the soundtrack is reminiscent of The Sound of Music. Yet somehow, it still manages to deliver dread and anxiety as intended. Mia Goth's portrayal of a slow descent into pure madness is haunting. She played every emotion as if it were her own, giving it a level of authenticity that elevated the movie from just another psychological horror to a beautifully haunting portrayal of the dangers of a fragile mental state.
This movie is perfect for anyone who likes a deep dive into the human psyche and doesn't get scared when faced with the brutal nature of humanity.
A Deep Dive Into The Dark
When it comes to psychological horror, viewers expect deep visual dread, lingering shadows, and hidden dangers. In this movie, everything is bright and out in the open. This take on the sub-genre is definitely refreshing, but not surprising, considering it comes from A24, the team behind the horror hit, Midsommar. One of the features that sets Pearl apart from other horror movies is its fairytale-like atmosphere. At times, it feels like the audience is transported into the world of The Wizard of Oz with the soft soundtrack and vibrant colors. Thanks to this, it's fair to say that this movie isn't the scariest, but it will definitely stay with the viewer for a long time. The dread is built slowly, but instead of basing it on atmospheric elements, it's built on the fragile mental state of a lonely, isolated young woman. And even though the story's concept is remarkable, there were a few misses in execution.
When it comes to stories that are heavily based on the mental state of the character, switches between scenes can add to the experience, or in this case, take away from it. At times, the shifts felt rushed or not entirely thought through. We can best see this in the dinner scene when Pearl and her mother, Ruth, start fighting. The logical flow of the situation is sound, but the execution felt somewhat rushed. It lacked a level of escalation, so it felt like the scene was too abrupt. Pearl's mental processes, shaped as monologues, got way too much attention, while they sped through her actions, which made these scenes feel superficial. Luckily, Mia Goth's portrayal of Pearl overshadows these technical issues.
An actor can make or break a movie, and Mia didn't just make it; she elevated it. Her depiction of Pearl's raw emotions was captivating, making it easier for the audience to empathize with the character. Even though Pearl was deeply flawed, viewers could still feel sorry for her. But slowly her pain started turning into madness, and her sociopathic side peeked out from behind her mask. Her actions turned more intense, and the motives behind her killings turned from simple pleasure to revenge. The lack of visual representation of this emotional change somehow made the movie even scarier. In everyday life, there are no color grade switches or sound cues when something bad happens. When someone turns bad, sometimes it happens under one's nose, and they don't even notice. That's what makes this movie so interesting, its depiction of the horror is realistic. But the dread-inducing elements don't stop here.
The director did a great job turning despair and isolation into the movie's centerpiece. Pearl was a young woman who lived in isolation, without friends to talk to or medical professionals to help her with her mental health struggles. On top of that, she was burdened with caring for her disabled father and helping out at the farm, so she ran away the only way she could, using her imagination. Unfortunately, her dreams got crushed one by one, and every blow drove reality farther away from her. She believed she was special and that she deserved more than what she had at the farm, and so her delusions mixed with her hope for a better future got twisted into motivation for revenge and murder. Ti West turned positive emotions into catalysts for violence, using them to elevate the dread factor.
Playing with the viewer's morals is necessary in this kind of movie. There are no jump scares or hidden monsters lurking in the shadows, so the director has to use other tactics to reach into the depths of the human mind. The best way to do that is to make the story feel as real as possible, so the audience is forced to really think about the situation and the villain's actions. The fact that the movie also touched on the subject of the Spanish flu while COVID was decimating the population in real life was another touch that made the story feel that much more relatable. There are many horror stories that are incredibly scary, yet none of them can hold a candle to the horrors of real life, and it seems that the team behind the movie understood this perfectly.
Final Verdict
This movie depicts a descent into madness in a strangely captivating way. The story balances between reality and fantasy, and somehow it manages to stay enjoyable throughout. The mood is set right from the first barn scene, and lingers with the audience until Pearl's haunting smile when the credits roll. The movie's intense, provocative, and unsettling in the best possible way. If you love horror that stays with you long after you watch it, this one will be right up your alley.
Rating: 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
Pearl gets a 4/5 because even though it's captivating and fun to watch, at times, the transition between scenes seemed rushed. No movie is without fault, but when an error is so noticeable that it breaks the audience's focus, it deflates the horror experience. Nevertheless, it will definitely be worth your time.
If you'd like a sneak peek, the trailer is below:
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