Pearl really showcases how far Ti West has evolved as a filmmaker because in this film he is operating at an entirely different level. Much more than the old fashioned slasher that was X, Pearl is definitely a psychological character study and a very good one at that. A throwback to the technicolor era of films and this film really is a visual marvel to behold. Mia Goth gives not only an even better performance here as Pearl, but it's arguably the best performance of her entire career and it's a shame knowing that the Oscars almost never give horror performances their due because her work really is deserving of that sort of recognition. The single take monologue that everyone will be talking about is still haunting my mind even since seeing this last night and then of course there's the very final shot of the film that will also be lingering in my mind for a very long time. This is very much a slow burn, but still every bit as demented and disturbing as the previous outing. The kills are absolutely brutal and made me flinch.

There's no particularly major gripes I have with Pearl. I will say I was ultimately a bit more exhilarated by X and definitely see myself revisiting that film a bit more in the future. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, Pearl is still a great companion piece that will certainly satisfy fans of that film and the genre. I'm excited to see what else Ti West can do with the third film in this little trilogy and I look forward to hopefully finding even more things to appreciate about this film on subsequent viewings.