{"id":492815,"date":"2022-09-14T01:50:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T22:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/pearl-survives-solely-on-the-strength-of-its-stellar-lead-performance\/"},"modified":"2022-09-14T01:50:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T22:50:38","slug":"pearl-survives-solely-on-the-strength-of-its-stellar-lead-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/pearl-survives-solely-on-the-strength-of-its-stellar-lead-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"#&#8217;Pearl&#8217; Survives Solely on the Strength of its Stellar Lead Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4e08ea3ddaf\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4e08ea3ddaf\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/pearl-survives-solely-on-the-strength-of-its-stellar-lead-performance\/#%E2%80%9C%E2%80%98Pearl_Survives_Solely_on_the_Strength_of_its_Stellar_Lead_Performance%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;&#8216;Pearl&#8217; Survives Solely on the Strength of its Stellar Lead Performance&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9C%E2%80%98Pearl_Survives_Solely_on_the_Strength_of_its_Stellar_Lead_Performance%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;&#8216;Pearl&#8217; Survives Solely on the Strength of its Stellar Lead Performance&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<pre><code>     &lt;span class=\"mx-1\"&gt;You might fall asleep during this one, but make sure you wake up for the end credits.&lt;\/span&gt;\n&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=\"\"&gt;\n\n\n\n                &lt;figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> \"&gt;\n            &lt;img width=\"800\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl.jpg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"Mia Goth is Pearl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl-768x434.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/&gt;                                    &lt;p&gt;\n                    &lt;span class=\"sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline\"&gt;A24&lt;\/span&gt;\n\n                        &lt;\/figure&gt;\n\n    &lt;!-- START BYLINE --&gt;\n    &lt;div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\"&gt;\n        By\u00a0Rob Hunter\u00a0\u00b7 Published on September 13th, 2022 \n        &lt;\/div&gt;\n    &lt;!-- END BYLINE --&gt;\n\n    No movie is unnecessary if the filmmaker has a story to tell, but more than any other type of film, it\u2019s prequels that make the strongest argument against that conviction. There\u2019s a challenge to creating something with a life of its own despite viewers being ahead of the characters. And it\u2019s a challenge that &lt;strong&gt;Ti West&lt;\/strong&gt; can\u2019t quite meet with his new prequel to the bloody good &lt;em&gt;X&lt;\/em&gt;. That film tells the story of a group of \u201cindependent\u201d filmmakers who run afoul of an elderly couple prone to purity-fueled murder, and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pearl&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt; takes us back six decades to show the origin of their madness. A stellar performance by &lt;strong&gt;Mia Goth&lt;\/strong&gt; aside, though, this &lt;em&gt;Pearl&lt;\/em&gt; is devoid of luster and surprisingly dull.\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>It\u2019s 1918, and Pearl (Goth) is a young woman living with her parents while her new husband fights overseas. She\u2019s living a miserable existence working the farm while her father (<strong>Matthew Sunderland<\/strong>) lay dying and mother (<strong>Tandi Wright<\/strong>) cracks the whip, but she sees a light at the end of the tunnel. Pearl\u2019s dream is to be a dancer in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a>, and the encouragement of her friend (<strong>Emma Jenkins-Purro<\/strong>) and a projectionist (<strong>David Corenswet<\/strong>) leads her to audition for a local stage show. Add in a toss in the hay with the projectionist (and a literal scarecrow), and everything\u2019s coming up Pearl\u2026 until it all goes to hell.<\/p>\n<p>The character of Pearl in <em>X<\/em> \u2014 also played by Goth, but in distracting old-age makeup \u2014 is a woman off her proverbial rocker. She\u2019s disturbed by the brazenness of the young people on her farm, but she\u2019s also insanely jealous of their youth and vitality. While ostensibly an origin story, <em>Pearl<\/em> begins with the character already a bit loose in the head. She may not have murdered anyone yet, but as her mother reminds her, she\u2019s already prone to violence. <em>Pearl<\/em> eventually gives viewers those first kills, but rather than be the tragic turn West is clearly aiming for, it\u2019s instead an obvious slog from points A to B.<\/p>\n<p>The central issue with the film comes down to that lack of life, surprise, and energy. There\u2019s no revelation here in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a> co-written by West and Goth, no reason to see Pearl as a victim pushed toward madness \u2014 she\u2019s a psychopath from the start just waiting for the final nudge towards homicide. The result is a film that\u2019s less of a journey or origin story and more of a character supplement better suited as an extra feature on the <em>X<\/em> dvd. There\u2019s no real arc here, barely a story, as Pearl simply tips into the swirling madness we always knew she was destined for. Imagine a prequel to <em>Psycho<\/em> focused on Norman Bates being berated by Mother until he snaps. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<p>What saves <em>Pearl<\/em> from being recommended as a powerful sleep aid, though, is Goth\u2019s performance. She gives Pearl a heightened simplicity, a frustrated Dorothy desperate for a tornado and a brightly colored future, and it\u2019s an engaging take. Still, none of it prepares viewers for two later highlights as Goth\u2019s face fills the frame, first with a monologue that sees her finally realize her station in life, and second with an astonishingly powerful presence throughout the end credits. Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet and the MCU can suck it, Goth is the new queen of forcing audiences to stay glued to their seats as the credits roll. She forces pathos onto a character who doesn\u2019t earn empathy on the page, and it\u2019s fairly breathtaking.<\/p>\n<p>The supporting players aren\u2019t given much to do beyond play out stock roles with a similar lack of nuance or depth. Pearl\u2019s mother is cruel, and her friend is kind with little else of note about them. Corenswet\u2019s projectionist manages to break ever so slightly out of his stock character, but West\u2019s interests rest solely with Pearl\u2019s minor shift from clearly disturbed to literally deranged. Thankfully, Goth is up to the challenge as a performer even as she stumbles some with her screenwriting debut.<\/p>\n<p>While <em>X<\/em> sees West and cinematographer <strong>Eliot Rockett<\/strong> capture the vibe and feel of 70s horror, their <em>Pearl<\/em> collaboration is a bit less memorable on the visual front. Still, the film looks good and is supplemented further by strong production design highlighting the dryness of a world that\u2019s not black &amp; white but feels monochrome all the same. Goth\u2019s Pearl is constantly at odds with that static reality, and while never as literal as the likes of Pleasantville, it\u2019s her forceful presence brightens the hues and brings the red (via her cheeks, her lips, and the blood she spills).<\/p>\n<p><em>Pearl<\/em> ultimately feels more akin to a character study than a genre effort, and while that\u2019s not a negative on its face it\u2019s an odd misstep with a film aligned with the lively, character-rich world of <em>X<\/em>. It\u2019s been revealed that West is making this a trilogy with <em>Maxxxine<\/em> due early next year, an 80s-set film following Goth\u2019s other character from the first film, and it seems likely that it will be a return to form for both the filmmaker and the genre. Here\u2019s hoping!<\/p>\n<pre><code>    Related Topics: Ti West\n    &lt;!-- AUTHOR BOX --&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<div class=\"gray-bg p-4 border small mb-5\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center text-md-center\">\n<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dca6f7118e64ea9aa6ef4f60221cfe7e?s=96&amp;d=mm&amp;r=x\" class=\"circle img-fluid\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\"\/>\n        <\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\">\n            Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he&#8217;s so damn young. He&#8217;s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists &#8216;Broadcast <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>&#8217; as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FakeRobHunter\">@FakeRobHunter<\/a>.        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<pre><code>    &lt;!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 --&gt;\n                                &lt;section class=\"recommended py-5\"&gt;\n            &lt;h3&gt;Recommended Reading&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\n\n        &lt;\/section&gt;\n            &lt;!-- END RECOMMENDED READING --&gt;\n\n\n\n\n&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/pearl-review\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=pearl-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;&#8216;Pearl&#8217; Survives Solely on the Strength of its Stellar Lead Performance&#8221; &lt;span class=&#8221;mx-1&#8243;&gt;You might fall asleep during this one, but make sure you wake up for the end credits.&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=&#8221;&#8221;&gt; &lt;figure class=&#8221;sf-entry-featured-media &#8220;&gt; &lt;img width=&#8221;800&#8243; height=&#8221;452&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl.jpg&#8221; class=&#8221;articlethumb wp-post-image&#8221; alt=&#8221;Mia Goth is Pearl&#8221; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl-768&#215;434.jpg 768w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px&#8221;\/&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class=&#8221;sf-entry-flag&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":492816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pearl.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-492815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=492815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/492816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=492815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=492815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=492815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}