Pearl 2022

Non spoiler thoughts (summary): The film presents a colorful world that hides loneliness and repression. The bright cheerful look creates a strange contrast because underneath it all the emotions feel heavy and unstable. What stood out to me is how the story treats obsession as something that grows from isolation rather than pure evil. The longer she is denied identity and freedom, the more her inner world replaces reality. It becomes a tragic character portrait about a person who cannot exist within the life given to her. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead. From here on, plot details are discussed. Read on if you’ve seen the film. If not, save this post and come back after. ⚠️ The color palette reminds me of The Wizard of Oz, very bright and sunny, almost cheerful. It gives an energy of enthusiasm and curiosity, like the promise of a bigger world waiting outside the farm. That brightness ironically makes everything feel more unsettling because the emotions underneath are already dark. The cinematography is great too, very clean execution and clear intent. The contrast between sets, wardrobe, and grading really builds this stylized world. The dinner confrontation between Pearl and her mother is extremely well written, directed, and acted. The storm happening outside strengthens the tension, and the lighting and sound design make the scene feel extreme. It feels less like a normal argument and more like all the unsaid feelings finally exploding. I think her isolation, abandonment issues, and the extreme control from her mother are what pushed her into madness. She was never allowed to become her own person, so her desires had nowhere healthy to go. The decaying lechon mirrors her mental deterioration, and the long uninterrupted confession scene justifies everything that has been building inside her. When she explains herself, it is disturbing but also tragic because she understands something is wrong yet cannot stop it. Her smile at the end is genuinely creepy. Her eyes show she is suffering deeply inside while forcing happiness outside. Completely rotten to the core. I gained newfound respect for Mia Goth here, superb performance!