Title: Pearl
Year: 2020
Genre: Drama
Rating: 3.5
Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Larsen Thompson, Sarah Carter, Barbara Williams, Melissa Macedo
Description: A fever dream of repressed desires and simmering resentment, Ti West's "Pearl" isn't just a prequel; it's a potent distillation of the American Dream gone horribly, viscerally wrong. Mia Goth delivers a tour-de-force performance, her wide-eyed innocence masking a brutal, burgeoning darkness. The film's vibrant, almost sickeningly beautiful cinematography perfectly complements its unsettling narrative. West masterfully crafts a gothic fairy tale infused with shocking violence, exploring themes of ambition, confinement, and the corrosive nature of societal expectations. While the blood splatters liberally, it's the psychological horror that truly lingers, leaving you breathless and disturbed long after the credits roll. "Pearl" is not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to confront its unsettling beauty, it offers a chillingly rewarding cinematic experience.