"Pearl (An X-traordinary Origin Story)" - Review

In the year 1918, at the height of the Spanish Flu, a family try to make ends meet. Ruth (Tandi Wright) tries to keep the family together with an iron glove, and her husband (Matthew Sunderland) confined to a wheelchair, but her daughter Pearl (Mia Goth) is a strange one: she wants to go to Hollywood and become a star, and her mind wanders away from her; as well as having... proclivities. With her husband away at war, Pearl finds herself falling for a projectionist (David Corenswet), and deeper into her own serpentine mind...

This movie is another swing for the fences from Ti West.
An exploration of madness, mayhem, Hollywood and obsession - but with that unique spin and fresh, delightful love letter to classic cinema. The Technicolour shots, the editing choices, the credits cards, even the blood (spoiler) mark it as a remarkably different kind of horror movie, and a refreshing, VERY Ti West venture. The performances are excellent (Mia Goth is, naturally, fantastic particularly in the ending monologue), with Tandi Wright a particular standout, and it manages to feel fresh and different despite the usual beats. You're trapped in this woman's mind, and she'll make the best of it...