Pearl was one of the best horror movies to come out the chute in the last decade. Because of that, I was really looking forward to this, the third entry in director Ti West’s trilogy. While it’s by far the weakest entry in the series, there’s enough good stuff here to make for a marginal recommendation.
It’s Hollywood in 1985, and former porn star Maxxxine (Mia Goth) just got her big break with a lead role in a horror movie. Too bad a sleazy detective (Kevin Bacon) is blackmailing her about her involvement in the incident that occurred in the first film, X. There’s also some business about a religious cult who are busy killing off her friends. And as the cherry on top, The Night Stalker is on the loose. It’s up to Maxxxine to make sure none of these bozos get in the way of her shot at fame.
As you can probably tell, Maxxxine is overstuffed with ideas. The early scenes set in Hollywood Boulevard have a cool Vice Squad/Avenging Angel vibe to them. (The scene where Maxxxine gets the drop on a would-be rapist is the disgusting highlight.) I also loved all the scenes involving Bacon. He turns the scenery in every scene he’s in into an all-you-can-eat buffet. Goth and Bacon also participate in a fun cat and mouse stalking scene set on the Universal backlot that culminates in a visit to the Bates Motel.
While most of this is entertaining, the movie started to lose me once it entered the third act. The stuff with the religious cult seemed a bit on the nose and the final hour lacks the punch of the first half-hour or so. It also loses points for wasting Elizabeth Debicki in a thinly written role of a bitchy director. Luckily, Goth and Bacon keep you watching even when the wheels are threatening to fall off.
I was kinda eh on Pearl and think this one is an improvement overall.
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