Pearl Ending, Explained (2024)

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  • What Happens At The End Of Pearl?

  • What Is Pearl About?

  • What Is Pearl's Rotten Tomatoes Score?

Key Takeaways

  • The ending of "Pearl" is disturbing and action-packed, revealing Pearl's dark and dangerous nature.
  • Mia Goth delivers an incredible performance as a young woman who turns to violence when her dreams are crushed.
  • "Pearl" is a memorable and cleverly directed horror movie, praised by critics and featuring a unique aesthetic.

After Ti West wrote and directed his impressive 2022 slasher movie X, he amazed fans of the horror genre with his flawless prequel Pearl. The movie stars Mia Goth as a young woman in 1918 whose creepy and dangerous nature quickly begins to emerge as her stardom dreams are dashed.

After the success of X and Pearl, Ti West is also writing and directing a third film in his trilogy called MaXXX ine that is sure to be a hit as well. The ending of Pearl is as surprising and creative as the rest of the story, and the final image is unforgettable.

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What Happens At The End Of Pearl?Pearl Ending, Explained (1)

The end of Pearl is as disturbing and dark as the rest of the impressive 2022 horror movie. The ending is both action-packed and also a slow character study that allows audiences to learn more about Pearl's inner world. Mia Goth also gives an incredible horror movie performance as a young woman who feels stuck in her life and turns to violence.

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After Pearl bombs her audition for a traveling dance troupe and learns that her sister-in-law Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Purro) was cast instead, Pearl murders Mitsy using an axe. Before she kills Mitsy, though, Pearl shares that she is unhappy with her life but that she was relieved to have a miscarriage because she doesn't want to be a mother. Pearl also talks to her mother Ruth's (Tandi Wright) dead body in the basement of her house and decides that she will be a good wife to Howard (Alistair Sewell) once he is no longer away in the military. In the last scene of Pearl, Pearl sits at her dining room table and grins at Howard, who has surprised her. Howard is shocked to see Pearl's dead mother and father there, too. Pearl's creepy horror movie smile proves that while she is a killer, she is also terrified of her feelings and desires.

Director

Ti West

Writer

Ti West

Cast

Mia Goth, Matthew Sunderland, Tandi Wright, David Corenswet, Emma Jenkins-Purro)

Release Date

September 16th 2022 (United States)

Runtime

102 minutes

Metacritic Score

76

Where To Watch

Paramount+

X featured some of the best horror movie moments of 2022 and Pearl included some surprising and memorable scenes as well. In a nod to one of the most shocking death scenes in X, Pearl throws Mitsy into the river and her alligator Theda eats Mitsy's body. This single moment proves that Pearl is ruthless, cold, and dangerous. After watching the ending of Pearl, Pearl's killing spree as an elderly woman in X makes even more sense. She has spent years being miserable about not being a star and she hates every minute of her quiet and dull life on her Texas property.

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What Is Pearl About?Pearl Ending, Explained (2)

Pearl delves into how Pearl becomes a serial killer and is a brilliant character study of her inner pain and turmoil. The movie is set in 1918 against the backdrop of the flu pandemic, and several scenes have some parallels to COVID-19, such as people wearing masks and keeping their distance. Pearl follows the main character's quest for excitement while living with her parents on their Texas farm. When she meets a projectionist (played by David Corenswet) and sleeps with him, she clearly has no problem being unfaithful to her husband Howard. Pearl is a memorable modern slasher movie that has as many quiet moments as there are gory ones.

Other Horror Movies Directed By Ti West:

  • The Roost (2005)
  • Trigger Man (2007)
  • The House of the Devil (2009)
  • Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009)
  • The Innkeepers (2011)
  • The Sacrament (2013)

While Pearl doesn't have a fast-paced plot, it's still a fascinating look at how Pearl turns into such a dark figure. The ending of X features the deaths of Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl, and every moment in the prequel sets up Pearl's eventual demise. As Pearl begins to resent her parents more and more, she dreams of a better life and also begins to think that killing people would make her feel better.

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What Is Pearl's Rotten Tomatoes Score?

Pearl Ending, Explained (3)

Pearl was one of the best 2022 horror movies according to Rotten Tomatoes and has a very high score on the website. Pearl's Rotten Tomatoes score is 93% and the movie's Audience Score is an impressive 82%. For the most part, reviews of Pearl were overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising Mia Goth's performance and Ti West's clever and creative direction.

Pearl is a whimsical, scary, and endlessly entertaining movie all thanks to Ti West's clear and clever writing and direction. In a 2022 interview with Forbes, West explained his vision for the tone of the movie:

"Once we committed to a very, almost Disney-esque aesthetic, references go out the window because we were kind of in our own world making something. The goal was to make something that felt very childish and full of wonder, but then make it demented and disturbing."

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Thanks to West's unique filmmaking style, the X prequel Pearl was a hit with critics and fans and proved why 2022 was a banner year for original horror movies.

MORE: Sick Ending, Explained

Pearl Ending, Explained (2024)
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