Ti West continues his X-citing series with a prequel

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Ti West continues his X-citing series with a prequel

Back in March, the entire country was introduced to Ti West, a singular talent that us fans of independent horror have been aware of for many years, through one of the absolute best—and simplest-titled—films of the year: X. If you stayed through the end credits (or fast-forwarded through, if you didn’t get around to it until it hit disc or streaming), you weren’t simply treated to another scene, you were gifted with a surprise trailer for a full prequel entitled Pearl, telling the story of the villain from the film you just watched.

In 1918, Pearl (Mia Goth) lives on a farm with her mother and father (Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland). It’s the middle of both WWI and the Spanish Influenza epidemic. Pearl’s husband is overseas fighting and, since Pearl’s father is infirm and confined to a wheelchair, her mother is very overprotective of germs getting into the house. The fact that they’re German doesn’t ease her mother’s distrust of outsiders and of letting Pearl ride her bicycle into town to get her father’s medicine.

All of this makes Pearl feel trapped. Her only escapes are the movie theater she goes to while in town and her dreams of becoming a famous movie star. Yet, there’s something not quite right with her, a fact she’s aware of and—in an odd way—simultaneously oblivious to. When an opportunity presents itself to finally get free of the farm, her mind becomes laser-focused on doing so, no matter who tries to stand in her way.

Pearl is a phenomenal achievement. Not only was it produced in secret immediately following X, but it’s a completely different style of film than its predecessor. While X was a gritty, Texas Chain Saw Massacre-style slasher, Pearl is more of a mid-century melodrama, kind of The Bad Seed but with the freedom to show its violence through the aid of modern effects makeup.

Ti West made the perfect decision on how to present the film. Following in its grindhouse influences, X had that washed-out, shot on film short ends look and feel. Pearl, on the other hand, is meant to emulate those grand old pictures of the Technicolor Age, so it’s all vivid and primary colors-soaked.

Through both West’s writing and Goth’s incredible performance, Pearl herself becomes a human being in our eyes, not simply the insane old crone from X, which—of course—is the point of the film. Her forced near-isolation on the farm has caused her to be innocent of the ways of the world around her, making you care for her and wanting to just hug her so you can assure her everything will be all right.

Yet, Pearl is also a sociopath. Whether those tendencies were created by her mother’s overbearing overprotection, or they were always latently there and became more pronounced because of her living situation is never answered. It does, however, make you afraid of her, to keep your distance lest you incur her wrath.

All of this culminates in one of the most brilliant final shots ever put to film, one that begins as humorous and slowly morphs into heartbreaking as it’s held through the first half of the credits. Once again, make sure you stick around for another treat at the end.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the score. Tyler Bates returns again, collaborating with Timothy Williams. Taking the lead from the film, they have created a score that harkens back to those from cinema’s Golden Age, with all the sweeping orchestral flourish one could desire.

Pearl is a beautiful follow-up to such a down-and-dirty horror film, moving and unsettling, perfectly showcasing Ti West’s talents as a filmmaker.

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