Magnificent Mia powers up prequel Mixed tone works thanks to star turn
X was one of last year’s biggest, most pleasant surprises, especially if you are a fan of horror.
Even more shocking, though, was the revelation writer-director Ti West had secretly been filming a prequel at the same time.
And it’s a tribute to his developing skills as a top filmmaker that Pearl feels like a completely different flick to its predecessor.
Mia Goth returns as the titular character as we follow her pursuit of stardom as she tries to escape life on her parents’ farm.
Setting the movie in 1918 during an influenza pandemic gives it a contemporary feel familiar to a Covidhit world but also allows West to take inspiration from golden-age Hollywood musicals.
Yes, in a horror film with grisly kills the helmer finds room for song and dance numbers as Pearl fantasises about becoming a world-renowned dancer.
But the mixed tone works thanks to Goth’s incredible performance, and makes the darker turns even more gutpunching.
Much has been made of Goth’s headline-grabbing unrelenting smile accompanied by tears over the end credits, and rightfully so, but the London-born star is superb throughout, whether seducing a scarecrow, trying to impress judges during a dance audition or plunging a pitchfork into someone.
Whereas X was grubby looking and tightly shot, Pearl is lavish and colourful with lots of wide angle camera work.
There are nods to the previous film – a hungry alligator, Pearl standing on an X – but West and Goth’s script takes several surprise turns, which is unusually welcome for a prequel.
And West and Goth will add to the lore of the characters even further with trilogy-closer MaXXXine, which begins filming next month.
Normally getting under the skin of how screen killers came to wield their first weapon is a bad idea that doesn’t play out well, however West and his leading lady knock those preconceived notions out of the part with a sledgehammer with this gem of a prequel.
●What are your thoughts on Pearl? How did you find it compared to its predecessor X? Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.