I was a little middling on X, which had some interesting bits, but took longer to get going, which is typical for a lot of Ti West's work. I was surprised to see the trailer for Pearl, which looked spectacular, perfect for my tastes.
It's one of the more interesting horror movies I've seen in a long time. Pearl is drawn as a fascinating character. She's often cheerful, even in the face of her stern mother. She has dreams of escaping from the tedium and responsibility of the farm by becoming a star. Her impression of this is that she'll be discovered as a fantastic dancer, and go on tour. She loves movies, and loves the sense of stardom that comes from watching performers.
But she's also a bit crazy. It isn't clear how much her situation has driven her to this level of craziness, or how much of this is born into her.
There are interesting variations on an exploration of a killer. She kills an animal on impulse. But the people after that... The first is seriously injured in an accident during a fight, but she decides to ignore their needs and let them die. The second she kills to cover up the first. The third is actually a mercy killing of sorts. And the fourth is to cover up everything else.
These aren't entirely the acts of someone who kills out of a love for killing.
The big monologue at the end is completely fascinating. It reveals a lot of about how aware Pearl is of her actions, and how conflicted she feels about them. She's crazy, but she's aware of it, and she doesn't feel great about it. But that doesn't make indulging in her craziness less satisfying.
I look forward to returning to his movie again and again, and showing it to people who are more on the fence in their horror consumption.
It's one of the more interesting horror movies I've seen in a long time. Pearl is drawn as a fascinating character. She's often cheerful, even in the face of her stern mother. She has dreams of escaping from the tedium and responsibility of the farm by becoming a star. Her impression of this is that she'll be discovered as a fantastic dancer, and go on tour. She loves movies, and loves the sense of stardom that comes from watching performers.
But she's also a bit crazy. It isn't clear how much her situation has driven her to this level of craziness, or how much of this is born into her.
There are interesting variations on an exploration of a killer. She kills an animal on impulse. But the people after that... The first is seriously injured in an accident during a fight, but she decides to ignore their needs and let them die. The second she kills to cover up the first. The third is actually a mercy killing of sorts. And the fourth is to cover up everything else.
These aren't entirely the acts of someone who kills out of a love for killing.
The big monologue at the end is completely fascinating. It reveals a lot of about how aware Pearl is of her actions, and how conflicted she feels about them. She's crazy, but she's aware of it, and she doesn't feel great about it. But that doesn't make indulging in her craziness less satisfying.
I look forward to returning to his movie again and again, and showing it to people who are more on the fence in their horror consumption.