Pearl (2022 film)

This baffling prequel leans hard on a whole bunch of elements not revolving around scaring or unsettling the audience, a problem considering it is a horror film; yes, elements of the visual presentation and overbearing soundtrack recall a time when filmmakers had no idea what they were doing and thought audiences wanted this crap, but when it’s not working towards some tangible end besides rote juxtaposition, I’m left tapping my foot and waiting for the crazy person to grab the damn pitchfork already. The violence is cool, eventually, what little there is of it. Point added for the end credits.

5