History Film / Pearl2022

** The phrase "the whole world's gonna know my name" recurs a couple of times, just as it did in ''X''.

** During the infamous scarecrow scene, Pearl performs the same shushing gesture on the scarecrow that Maxine would later use [[spoiler: before she kills Pearl by running her over.]]
** When Pearl speaks with Mitzy about the results of the audition, bitterly saying that things always seem to work out for Mitzy, her voice briefly twists to sound just like it will in ''X'' when she's many decades older.

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: The Projectionist attempts to drive away from the farm when he realizes there's something really off about Pearl, but just as he starts the car, Pearl sticks him twice with all three prongs of her pitchfork as he's about to start the car. He then tries to drive away while rapidly losing blood, but Pearl catches up to him, drags him out of the car onto the ground, and finishes him off by driving a prong from the pitchfork through his mouth.]]

** In Ruth's argument with Pearl, she tells her daughter that when she goes to the audition and fails, she wants her to "remember what it feels like, because that's how I feel every time I look at you." [[spoiler:Ruth suffers accidental third-degree burns in the ensuing fight between them, and as Pearl keeps her in the basement to die, she repeats the line back to her.]]

* MummiesAtTheDinnerTable: The film ends with [[spoiler:Pearl seating her parents’ corpses at the dinner table.]]

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: The alligator from ''X'' is still present, eating both a goose and [[spoiler:the Projectionist]].

* SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler:Played with regarding Howard as it's not what he does with his limited screentime that leaves an impact, but rather his ''absence'' due to fighting in the war. Pearl married Howard because she was enticed by his upper-class lifestyle and saw him as her ticket to leave the farm, and thus felt betrayed when he left her to enlist in the Army. This is not an insignificant factor, either, as Pearl's monologue near the end of the film is almost ten minutes of her venting just how much Howard leaving for the war affected her.]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Pearl uses a scarecrow as a masturbatory aid while fantasizing about the Projectionist.

* NatureVersusNurture: [[spoiler:Does Ruth (Pearl's mother) correctly identify that there's something intrinsically wrong with Pearl, thereby necessitating her keeping Pearl within the boundaries of the farm as much as possible? Do Ruth's constant put-downs of Pearl's dreams, which at least partially stems from the former's bitterness over her own unrealised full and vibrant life, manage to infect the latter with generational trauma/ill thoughts, only fatal to others on top? Or is Pearl's transformation from slightly odd young woman to full-blown unrepentant serial killer a result of both inputs?]]

** The Projectionist tells Pearl that adult films are going to revolutionize cinema, the same thing Wayne tells the crew in X.

*** Pearl is a lonely farm girl who dreams of something more and wears blue colors and braids loosely similar to Dorothy.

*** The end of the film ends with a twisted take on "There's no place like home," as [[spoiler:Pearl's first audition fails and she takes it as the permanent death of her dream, resigned to returning to the farm she didn't then ''or'' by the end want to live on]].

* AccidentalMurder: Pearl first kills when she [[spoiler:accidentally sets her mother on fire during their fight. Pearl is visibly panicked and puts the fire out, apparently not having meant for this to happen, but afterwards she deliberately leaves her critically injured mother in the basement to die.]]

** It's also unclear if [[spoiler:Mitzy actually won the part at the dance audition. She denies it at first, but when Pearl presses her, she admits it in a strained, worried tone. This could mean she did win the part and really didn't think it was a good time to tell Pearl, particularly after the extended confessions she'd heard. On the other hand, Mitzy seems sincere enough that she genuinely might not have gotten the part and only admitted she did because Pearl clearly wasn't having the truth and Mitzy had hoped playing along would then placate Pearl and let her escape with her life.]]

** In Ruth's argument with Pearl, she tells her daughter that when she goes to the audition and fails, she wants her to "remember what it feels like, because that's how I feel every time I look at you." [[spoiler:Ruth suffers accidental third-degree burns in the ensuing fight between them, and as Pearl keeps her in the basement, she repeats the line back to her.]]

* InelegantBlubbering: [[spoiler:Pearl breaks down in loud, heavy wails when her rejection by the dance troupe sets in, having to be physically dragged out of the audition room, being found by Mitzy with ropes of snot coming out of her nose, and getting mascara stains on her face that stay for the rest of the day.]]

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The central thematic argument of what Pearl should do with her life gives credence to and exposes flaws within both main sides brought up -- whether she should listen to the Projectionist and pursue her dreams, as you only get one shot at life and it's better to do what you want than conform with the rest of society, or heed her mother's advice and accept her life at home, since life isn't about getting what you want but making the most out of what you're given.
** The Projectionist's stance is true for Pearl in the sense that her longing for an escape from her isolated existence isn't totally unfounded. Ruth's stance is true in three senses: it's wise to be willing to adapt and acknowledge that the idealized life you may envision isn't the only way things could turn out, she is speaking from experience with regrets and sacrifices in prioritizing taking care of Pearl and her father[[note]][[spoiler:even when confessing to being responsible for her death, Pearl admits that she meant well in this regard]][[/note]], and part of her want to keep Pearl on the farm is based in completely understandable concern over what would happen if Pearl was unable to suppress her inner darkness while out in the world.
** The Projectionist's stance is also detrimental for Pearl as her fixation on her dreams often enables delusions of grandeur and separates her from reality, where the heavy workload of maintaining the farmhouse is left to be shouldered exclusively by her mother. Ruth's stance is detrimental because she uses her own mentality as a means to keep Pearl in check and crush any chance she gets at being her own person, which not only has dreadful effects on her mental stability but implies that Ruth is passing her pain down to Pearl and forcing her to inherit it.

** The Projectionist's stance is true for Pearl in the sense that her longing for an escape from her isolated existence isn't totally unfounded. Ruth's stance is true in the sense that it's wise to be willing to adapt to life circumstances and acknowledge that the idealized life you may envision isn't the only way things could turn out, and she is speaking from experience with regrets, losses and sacrifices in prioritizing taking care of Pearl and her father[[note]][[spoiler:even when confessing to being responsible for her death, Pearl admits that she meant well]][[/note]].
** The Projectionist's stance is also detrimental for Pearl as her fixation on her dreams often separates her from reality, where the heavy workload of maintaining the farmhouse is left to be shouldered exclusively by her mother. Ruth's stance is detrimental because she uses her own mentality as a means to keep Pearl in check and crush any chance she gets at being her own person, which not only has dreadful effects on her mental stability but indicates that Ruth is passing her pain and trauma down to Pearl.

** A man in town is also wearing a sandwich board that reads "I will not accept a life I do not deserve."

** Doubled down on after she [[spoiler:suspects Mitzy won.]]

** In Ruth's argument with Pearl, she tells her daughter that ''when'' she fails at pursuing her dreams, she wants her to "remember what it feels like, because that's how I feel every time I look at you." [[spoiler:Ruth suffers accidental third-degree burns in the ensuing fight between them, and as Pearl keeps her in the basement, she repeats the line back to her.]]
** Ruth tells Pearl that life is not about getting what you want, but instead "making the best of what you have". [[spoiler:Pearl repeats the line to Mitzy as she's about to kill her when Mitzy begs for her life by promising to do whatever she wants. This instance wraps the line with an obviously far more sinister meaning.]]

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: [[spoiler:When Howard returns home, Pearl smiles to greet him, and continues to do so while the credits roll.]]

* MortonsFork: Mitzy is presented with one at the end of the film. [[spoiler:After Pearl confesses to her murders, she suspects Mitzy of having won the part in the dance troupe. Mitzy initially denies it, angering Pearl, who thinks that it's CondescendingCompassion and demands to hear the "truth." At this point, Mitzy is in a no-win situation. If she says she's telling the truth, it will only enrage Pearl further for "lying" and invoke her wrath. If she says she won the part, it only confirms Pearl's preconceived notions that Mitzy always gets what she wants. Either way, Pearl ''will'' (and does) kill her.]]

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The central thematic argument between whether Pearl should listen to the Projectionist and pursue her dreams or heed her mother's advice and accept her life at home gives credence to and exposes flaws within both sides -- the Projectionist's belief that you only have one shot at life and it's better to do what you want than conform with the rest of society, and Ruth's belief that life isn't about getting what you want but making the most out of what you're given.
** The Projectionist's stance is true in the sense that ______; Ruth's stance is true in the sense that it's wise to acknowledge that the idealized vision of your life you may create is not the only way it could turn out, and Ruth is speaking from experience with regrets, losses and sacrifices[[note]][[spoiler:even when confessing to being responsible for her death, Pearl admits that she meant well]][[/note]].
** The Projectionist's stance is also detrimental for Pearl as her fixation on her dreams often separates her from reality, where the heavy workload of maintaining the farmhouse is left to be shouldered exclusively by her mother. Ruth's stance is detrimental because she uses her "accept what you know" mentality as a means to keep Pearl in check and crush any chance she gets at being her own person, which not only has dreadful effects on her mental stability but indicates that Ruth is passing her pain and trauma down to Pearl.

''Pearl'' (also marketed as ''Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story'') is a 2022 drama [[SlasherMovie slasher film]] co-written and directed by Ti West. It is a {{prequel}} to West's previous film ''Film/{{X|2022}}'', released earlier in the same year, and was shot in secret [[MovieMultipack directly after that film wrapped production]]. ''Pearl'' provides an origin story for the namesake character from ''X'', the female half of that film's EvilOldFolks duo, who is again played by Creator/MiaGoth, who co-wrote this film and collaborated with West on its original story.

A teaser trailer for ''Pearl'' was screened directly following ''X''’s premiere at SXSW. The film later premiered in full at 2022's Venice International Film Festival on September 3, and premiered in theaters on September 16, again distributed by Creator/{{A24}}. Three days before that, Ti West and A24 announced a full sequel to ''X'' titled ''Film/{{MaXXXine}}'', once again starring Mia Goth as Maxine seeking to make it as a Hollywood actress in [[TheEighties 1985]].

* AbusiveParents: Pearl's mother is strict, domineering, and frequently verbally abusive to Pearl.
* AccidentalMurder: Pearl first kills when she [[spoiler:accidentally sets her mother on fire during their fight. Pearl is visibly panicked and puts the fire out, apparently not having meant for this to happen - but afterwards she deliberately leaves her critically injured mother in the basement to die.]]

** It's also unclear if [[spoiler:Mitzy actually won the part at the dance audition. She denies it at first, but when Pearl presses her, she admits it in a strained, worried tone. This could mean she did win the part and really didn't think it was a good time to tell Pearl, particuarly after the extended confessions she'd heard. On the other hand, Mitzy seems sincere enough that she genuinely might not have gotten the part and only admitted she did because Pearl clearly wasn't having the truth and Mitzy had hoped playing along then would placate Pearl and let her escape with her life.]]

* ArmorPiercingResponse: Ruth gives Pearl a truly epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, lasting several minutes and ending with her demanding to know why Pearl thinks she's so above them and the life they've worked so hard to build. Pearl destroys her with a single-sentence response, and the physical part of the confrontation begins immediately thereafter.

* BrokenHeel: [[spoiler:When Mitzy sees Pearl pick up the axe and start in her direction, she runs screaming while Pearl simply [[OminousWalk walks menacingly]] behind her. Mitzy trips and falls to the ground (over seemingly nothing), and the amount of time she wastes getting back up allows Pearl to catch up to her and attack her without changing her pace.]]

** One of the people Pearl auditions for explains that they’re looking for someone with "X-factor."

** During the infamous scarecrow scene, Pearl performs the same ‘shushing’ gesture on the scarecrow that Maxine would later use [[spoiler: before she kills Pearl by running her over.]]

* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Pearl is catapulted all the way over after she's rejected at the troupe audition, having a complete breakdown and returning home considerably depressed, calling herself "a failure" and "weak". Even after everything she's done up to this point, including murdering her own parents and the Projectionist, it's absolutely heartwrenching to watch.]]

** Mitzy complains to Pearl about how "some people just think they're God's gift" but says that such people always get what they deserve. She also says that she hopes a particular girl doesn't get the role because of it. Pearl is very arrogant, though not to Mitzy (beyond her repeated insistence while waiting to audition that "it ''has'' to be [her]"), and is [[spoiler:immediately turned down for the role.]]

* ForegoneConclusion: Try as Pearl might to become a movie star and get away from the farm, the existence of ''X'' means that her efforts are doomed to fail. [[spoiler:Similarly, we know that Howard will not only survive the war but will become just as murderous as his wife.]]

** [[spoiler: And that's before we even get to Pearl's assumption that Mitzy got the dancing part she wanted so badly. It's pretty much a given how it's going to play out when Mitzy [[AmbiguousSituation (possibly) admits]] to getting the part.]]
* GrossUpCloseUp: Several instances occur of the nauseating images of [[spoiler:Pearl's thoroughly dead parents]], [[spoiler:the rotting roast pig Pearl's mother-in-law had tried gifting]], and [[spoiler:Pearl dismembering Mitzy]] being depicted in excruciatingly close detail.

*** The end of the film ends with a twisted take on "There's no place like home," as Pearl's first audition fails and she takes it as the permanent death of her dream, resigned to returning to the farm she didn't then ''or'' by the end want to live on. Pearl's situation also parallels Dorothy's specifically from the book ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' (the version of the story the character could have been familiar with in 1918), as there are no farmhands to be her companions and she is miserable with just her older two family members around.
* HonorBeforeReason: Pearl's family has fallen on some seriously hard times, to the point where Ruth keeps track of literally every penny. Yet they refuse to accept the roast pig that Howard's mother offers, something that would provide two people (and a third with seriously reduced dietary needs) with quite a few meals, because Ruth refuses to accept charity (which the pig may very well be; Mitzy lets it slip that she and her mother intend to deliver four more pigs to other families, possibly other local poor families).
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: The Projectionist attempts to drive away from the farm when he realizes there's something really off about Pearl, but just as he starts the car, Pearl sticks him twice with all three prongs of her pitchfork before he can start the car. He then tries desperately to drive away while rapidly losing blood, but Pearl catches up to him, drags him out of the car onto the ground, and finishes him off by driving a prong from the pitchfork through his mouth.]]

* InelegantBlubbering: [[spoiler:Pearl breaks down in loud, heavy wails when her rejection by the dance troupe sets in, having to be physically dragged out of the audition room, being found by Mitzy with visible ropes of snot coming out of her nose, and also having mascara stains on her face for the rest of the day.]]

** Ruth tells Pearl that life is not about getting what you want, but instead "making the best of what you have". [[spoiler:Pearl repeats the line to Mitzy as she's about to kill her, but wrapping it with an obviously far more sinister meaning.]]

** Pearl wears a bright red dress when she auditions for the troupe, [[spoiler:kills the Projectionist and her father beforehand, and later kills Mitzy.]]

* IrisOut: The end credits finish by irising out the rest of the frame, focusing solely on Pearl's face until it fades to black.

* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Pearl is catapulted all the way over after she's rejected at the troupe audition. Even after everything she's done up to this point, including murdering her own parents and the Projectionist, it's absolutely heartwrenching to watch.]]

** Mitzy complains to Pearl about how arrogant people always get what they deserve, and she hopes a particular girl doesn't get the role because of it. Pearl is very arrogant, though not to Mitzy, and is [[spoiler:immediately turned down for the role.]]

* IronicEcho: Ruth tells Pearl that life is not about getting what you want, but instead "making the best of what you have". [[spoiler:Pearl repeats the line to Mitzy as she's about to kill her, but wrapping it with an obviously far more sinister meaning.]]

* AdvertisingByAssociation: The trailers market the film as "An X-traordinary Origin Story"..

* BadLiar: For someone who has had to sneak as much as Pearl has, she's an absolutely ''terrible'' liar. Her lack of empathy makes it difficult for her to craft an effective lie in the first place, and then she gets lost in her fantasies and forgets the lie she was telling. [[spoiler:Most notably when she just barely convinces the Projectionist to ignore the sounds of her dying mother in the basement by playing it off as the family dog. When he inquires about the dog's name a few minutes later, Pearl had already forgotten about the lie and shoots herself in the foot by replying, "We don't have a dog."]]

* BullyingADragon: Pearl's mother knows how dangerous Pearl is - or at least claims to - but still thinks it's a good idea to push every single one of a budding slasher's [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]].

* DaylightHorror: Several of the film's kills not only happen in broad daylight, but one soaked in a bright technicolor style.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: As has been observed many times in real life, the 1918 Flu Epidemic looks a lot like the Covid Pandemic: people quarantining themselves at home to avoid it and wearing masks and distancing themselves from each other when they must go out in public, businesses and entertainment venues all but empty. One of Pearl's more selfish acts was to put her mother and her already-ill father at risk by ignoring safety precautions, and Ruth orders her to quarantine in the bunkhouse to prevent them from being further exposed.
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Multiple people, including Pearl's parents and Howard's sister, have been murdered by Pearl and Pearl's audition goes nowhere and the audience knows she will never escape the farm to a more glamorous and exciting life.]]

** Pearl's father isn't given a name either.

** The film is largely done in the style of fifties melodramas by Creator/DouglasSirk, with its framing, acting, and Technicolor visuals.

*** The end of the film ends with a twisted take on "there's no place like home" as Pearl's first audition fails and she takes it as the permanent death of her dream, resigned to returning to the farm she didn't then ''or'' by the end want to live on. Pearl's situation also parallels Dorothy's specifically from the book ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' (the version of the story the character could have been familiar with in 1918), as there are no farmhands to be her companions and she is miserable with just her older two family members around.

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: The Projectionist attempts to drive away from the farm when he realizes there's something really off about Pearl. But Pearl sticks him with all three prongs of the pitchfork before he can start the car. He then tries desperately to start the car and drive away to get medical help. But he eventually ends up out of the car and on his back. Pearl finishes him off by driving a prong from the same pitchfork through his mouth.]]
* ImmodestOrgasm: While masturbating with a scarecrow, Pearl has one so loud that it scares an entire flock of crows out of a cornfield.

* IronicEcho: Ruth tells Pearl that life is not about getting what you want, but instead "Life is about making the best of what you have". [[spoiler: Pearl repeats the line to Mitzy as she's about to kill her, but wrapping it with an obviously far more sinister meaning.]]

* MortonsFork: Mitzy is presented with one at the end of the film. [[spoiler:After Pearl confesses to her murders, she suspects Mitzy of having won the part in the dance troupe. Mitzy initially denies it, angering Pearl, who thinks that it's CondescendingCompassion and demands to hear the "truth." At this point, Mitzy is in a no-win situation. If she says she's telling the truth, it will only enrage Pearl further for "lying" and invoke her wrath. If she says she won the part, it only confirms Pearl's preconceived notions that Mitzy always gets what she wants. Either way, Pearl ''will'' kill her.]]

* NatureVersusNurture: [[spoiler:Does Ruth (Pearl's mother) correctly identify there's something intrinsically wrong with Pearl, thereby necessitating her keeping Pearl within the boundaries of the farm as much as possible? Does Ruth's constant put-downs of Pearl's dreams, which at least partially stems from the former's bitterness over her own unrealised full and vibrant life, manage to infect the latter with generational trauma/ill thoughts, only fatal to others on top? Or is Pearl's transformation from slightly odd young woman to full-blown unrepentant serial killer a result of both inputs?]]

* ParentsAsPeople: An unusual case of an arguably abusive parent as people. Pearl sneaks in from one of her adventures and finds Ruth sobbing inconsolably, obviously breaking under the many stresses and tragedies of her life. In a different movie, this would be the turning point that would lead to some sort of understanding and reconciliation between the two characters. But this is the prequel to a slasher film...

** Pearl wears a bright red dress when she auditions for the troupe, [[spoiler:and gets turned down.]] She's also sitting in front of a red door sobbing in her red dress when Mitzy comes to get her.

** [[spoiler:The Projectionist joins Pearl for what he hopes will be a good second time. But between the rotting pig on the front porch, Pearl being callous about the disturbing sounds coming from below, [[BadLiar Pearl getting caught in the lie about a dog she doesn't have]], and her increasingly possessive and unstable behavior, the Projectionist realizes there's something really wrong with Pearl. He attempts to drive away from the farm with the intention of never having anything to do with Pearl again, but Pearl [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice sticks him with the pitchfork]] before he can start his car.]]
** [[spoiler: Mitzy is likewise freaked out by Pearl's confession of having killed at least three people, which combines a MotiveRant and TheReasonYouSuckSpeech directed at Howard in absentia. She also tries in vain to hightail it out of the farm, only for Pearl to cut her down with the axe]].
* SelfMadeOrphan: Pearl openly wishes for her parents to die and considers dumping her wheelchair-bound father in the pond with an alligator. [[spoiler:She ends up giving her mother (ultimately fatal) burns and smothers her father to death as she prepares to pursue her path to stardom.]]

* WhamLine: For Pearl herself, "I'm sorry...it's going to be a no."

** One of the people Pearl auditions for explains that they’re looking for someone with "x-factor."
** The phrase "the whole world's gonna know my name" recurs a couple of times, just as it did in ''X''. A man in town is also wearing a sandwich board that reads "I will not accept a life I do not deserve."

-->--'''Pearl'''

** Going with the vintage film style, the film has several to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'': Pearl is a lonely farm girl who dreams of something more and wears blue colors and braids loosely similar to Dorothy, one scene focuses on an encounter with a scarecrow in a cornfield who's wearing a green shirt, and a later scene with Pearl riding to her audition frames her, in villainy and costume, like Miss Gulch in ''Oz''. The end of the film ends with a twisted take on "there's no place like home" as Pearl's dreams die in the water and she returns to the farm she didn't then
''or'' by the end want to live on. Pearl's situation also parallels Dorothy's specifically from the book ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', as there are no farmhands to be her companions and she is miserable with just her older family around.

** It's also unclear if [[spoiler:Mitzy actually won the part at the dance audition. She denies it at first, but when Pearl presses her, she admits it in a strained, worried tone. This could mean she is either badly lying or is actually telling the truth but simply too disturbed by everything she's just learned to be happy about it.]]

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Pearl kills a goose with a pitchfork before feeding it to an alligator. While a farm girl could be expected to slaughter animals for food without being squeamish about it, the killing here is pointlessly cruel, wasteful, and done [[ForTheEvulz purely for the fun of it]]. [[spoiler: She further admits to Mitzy in her final monologue that she's been killing small animals for some time.]]

* BrokenSmile: [[spoiler:At the end of the film, Pearl gives a prolonged one of these to Howard after he returns home from the war. And she holds that smile through the credits.]]

* CabinFever: Discussed. Mitzy tells Pearl that all the isolation has been enough to make one mad.

** Pearl absolutely hates it when the animals stare at her, something Maxine yells in the closing moments of ''X''.

** The wheelchair in the basement belonged to Pearl's dad.
** Howard was originally a farmhand for Pearl's family, meaning the porno's scenario more or less actually happened between the people who owned the farm they were filming on.

** When Pearl speaks with Mitzy about the results of the audition, her voice briefly twists to sound just like it will in ''X'' when she's many decades older.

* VillainHoldsTheLeash: It's revealed that the alligator from X is named Theda (after actress Theda Bera) and that Peal has been training it for an indeterminate amount of time to eat the small animals she kills. Before the end of the movie she's graduated to feeding it human corpses.

* GermanicDepressives: Pearl's strict, dour mother is a German immigrant, who still speaks the language around the house and speaks with a strong accent in English. Wartime prejudices against people of German descent are a minor plot point.