Pearl

it’s been a little while since I watched Pearl last and coming back to it reminds me why it stuck out to me in the first place. Out of the X trilogy, this still remains the best movie. I’m not sure what it is in this movie, but something makes it feel more personal and uncomfortable in a way I’m not sure how to describe. After watching it again, I appreciate how the movie did not really rush anything. The first half of the movie takes its time, being really slow, sitting with Pearl, analyzing her thoughts, emotions, and her feeling that she has to be seen as someone special. As stated in my previous reviews, this movie is considered a horror film, but doesn’t really rely on constant horror, rather, it lets the tension build up all through Pearl’s own mindset which is honestly more unsettling. Upon another rewatch, I think that the audition scene is now my favorite part of the movie, followed by Pearl’s monologue. This audition scene is one of the only moments in the movie where it feels like Pearl might actually get what she wants. The way she performs is really exaggerated and a little bit sad, like she’s trying super hard to match this perfect image she has in her head. The movie also does a wonderful job showing how much this audition means to her. Up till now she had hope for herself, seeing what she could be. and then, when she does not get picked, she doesn’t treat it as a simple rejection but instead like everything she believed about herself disappeared right there. The silence, the way she held her pose even after being told no, and her face after the rejection really adds onto that as well. The opening scene and its music stuck with me this time too. When the barn doors open and the bright and joyful music starts playing while Pearl dances, it sets the tone that looks amazing as well as feels slightly unsettling. With the music playing while Pearl dances in front of the mirror in an all black background, it feels like what’s happening is too good to be true, which makes it feel eerie since the movie is a horror. Mia Goth plays a phenomenal role in this movie. Nothing about her performance feels fake, making her character uncomfortable but hard to look away from. This movie still stands out to me as a great one and one of my favorites, definitely as the best in the trilogy. I will continue to rewatch this as time comes.