This movie, about a young woman on the brink of madness who pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation and lovelessness of life on her parents' farm, is a good prequel to X (2022)!
The movie represents the earlier life of Pearl, the original, old woman we already know as a horrifying lady in the future. Now we know how she became what she became. I think this movie represented the young Pearl in a very good way. From start, we saw a happy girl living an "okay" life on her parents' farm, but we also noticed minor things that didn't really seem quite normal. She killed a goose, imagined having sex with the projectionist right in the middle of a cornfield, collected an alligator egg, and physically abused her own father. The movie added some references to X, which I think was well done, and you could really feel that Pearl was on her way to become the later Pearl we know about.
The psychological part of this movie is fantastic done. It's kind of simple, and doesn't go that deep into her mind, except from in the final act, but based on her events and scenes where we observe her reactions and actions similar to what we know as a psychopath, you could really feel the compassion for her pain and sadness. Something was evolving inside her mind, and the interesting part about this is that it is realistic in many ways.
I think the reasons for her mental illness is quite obvious, but interesting of course. A reason may be hereditary factors, but I'm sure some of it were environmental factors as well, and now I point at her mother Ruth. Pearl didn't apparently get that family love she deserved as a child. She had probably got neglected most of her life, and without love, the mind can turn into many things. Ruth was only punishing Pear instead of giving her praise for the good things she did. One interesting line from Ruth I found really proving is:
"Oh yes, I do. I've seen the things you've done - in private - when you believe that no one's watching. You think others won't notice? You can't keep your true self hidden forever, Pearl. They will notice eventually and they will be frightened, just as I am."
Even Ruth was scared of her, and what I think is sad for Pearl's part is that Ruth was rather avoiding Pearl instead of helping, but she might have been so exhausted by the farm work that she hadn't have enough energy nor time to help her own daughter. She basically watched her own daughter become a monster in secret, and that's one of the strong elements of this movie, I think.
When it comes to the story and the technical aspects, they were decent, but nothing new. The pacing was sometimes slow, but the story kept my interest anyway. It was the character development that was the very strong part here.
In conclusion, this movie delivers a compelling character development, exploring the journey of Pearl from a seemingly ordinary life on her parents' farm to the haunting persona we know from the future. The psychological portrayal is well-executed, gradually revealing her descent into darkness. The movie hints at both hereditary and environmental factors contributing to her mental illness, particularly her strained relationship with her mother. While the story and technical aspects are decent but not groundbreaking, it is the strong character development that shines through, making this movie a worthwhile watch.
The movie represents the earlier life of Pearl, the original, old woman we already know as a horrifying lady in the future. Now we know how she became what she became. I think this movie represented the young Pearl in a very good way. From start, we saw a happy girl living an "okay" life on her parents' farm, but we also noticed minor things that didn't really seem quite normal. She killed a goose, imagined having sex with the projectionist right in the middle of a cornfield, collected an alligator egg, and physically abused her own father. The movie added some references to X, which I think was well done, and you could really feel that Pearl was on her way to become the later Pearl we know about.
The psychological part of this movie is fantastic done. It's kind of simple, and doesn't go that deep into her mind, except from in the final act, but based on her events and scenes where we observe her reactions and actions similar to what we know as a psychopath, you could really feel the compassion for her pain and sadness. Something was evolving inside her mind, and the interesting part about this is that it is realistic in many ways.
I think the reasons for her mental illness is quite obvious, but interesting of course. A reason may be hereditary factors, but I'm sure some of it were environmental factors as well, and now I point at her mother Ruth. Pearl didn't apparently get that family love she deserved as a child. She had probably got neglected most of her life, and without love, the mind can turn into many things. Ruth was only punishing Pear instead of giving her praise for the good things she did. One interesting line from Ruth I found really proving is:
"Oh yes, I do. I've seen the things you've done - in private - when you believe that no one's watching. You think others won't notice? You can't keep your true self hidden forever, Pearl. They will notice eventually and they will be frightened, just as I am."
Even Ruth was scared of her, and what I think is sad for Pearl's part is that Ruth was rather avoiding Pearl instead of helping, but she might have been so exhausted by the farm work that she hadn't have enough energy nor time to help her own daughter. She basically watched her own daughter become a monster in secret, and that's one of the strong elements of this movie, I think.
When it comes to the story and the technical aspects, they were decent, but nothing new. The pacing was sometimes slow, but the story kept my interest anyway. It was the character development that was the very strong part here.
In conclusion, this movie delivers a compelling character development, exploring the journey of Pearl from a seemingly ordinary life on her parents' farm to the haunting persona we know from the future. The psychological portrayal is well-executed, gradually revealing her descent into darkness. The movie hints at both hereditary and environmental factors contributing to her mental illness, particularly her strained relationship with her mother. While the story and technical aspects are decent but not groundbreaking, it is the strong character development that shines through, making this movie a worthwhile watch.