Ti West’s Pearl: How Much Is a Woman Worth? 10

When slasher film X was released by A24 earlier this year, the film was praised for its subversion of common grindhouse tropes. Within X, Mia Goth plays both the role of Maxine and Pearl. Goth’s portrayal of Pearl, who is 80 years old in the film, is the result of some pretty severe prosthetic application. This could inevitably appear gimmicky at first, until it was announced that a prequel—also starring Goth as a much younger Pearl—had been shot in conjunction with X. Enter the country, campy world of Ti West’s aptly-named Pearl. The film takes place in 1918 and chronicles the desperate attempts of Pearl to escape her small-town circumstances and garner celebrity status as movies begin to take shape. Both films offer an inventive critique of ageism and its psychological effect on women. The breakdown of a younger Pearl sparks empathy in audiences; this is a woman who suffers through her isolation and the duties attached to her role as a woman and wife. After auditioning for a role in a traveling dance troupe, Pearl is told that they are looking for somebody “younger and more blonde.” This quote echoes the message of X, during which Pearl takes her pent-up sexual frustrations out on the young cast through increasingly violent means. Fusing themes of sex and horror is not a new concept, with films like Hellraiser showcasing the potential early on in the history of the genre.

However, a tour de force array of performances from Mia

Goth showcase how she is effectively driven to the edge by the lingering presence of sexuality in her life. Pearl is never detached from her sexuality, but rather never allowed to fully embrace it—a factor which motivates her horrific breakdown in the end.