James Croot is the editor of Stuff to Watch.
OPINION: It’s arguably the best thing to come out of New Zealand’s Covid managed isolation system.
The surprise prequel that virtually nobody knew was being shot on our shores. A visual and visceral symphony that’s both a harrowing psychological horror and homage to timeless Technicolor fantasies like The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins.
And yet, despite critical and audience acclaim at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals last month, New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) funding and around 350 Kiwis working on the shoot in the Autumn of 2021, it’s not coming to a cinema or streaming service near you (at least not until next year at the earliest).
Quite frankly, the situation is ludicrous, particularly when local movie theatres are crying out for fresh, crowd-pleasing content and the Halloween selection this year is a choice between Jamie Lee Curtis continuing her almost 45-year-battle with her bogeyman Michael Myers (the one that isn’t Austin Powers) and a micro-budget Airbnb-set thriller (US late-summer sleeper hit Barbarian). The former has tanked badly at the New Zealand box-office, only managing $200,000 in its opening 10 days.
However, distributors attempting to peddle the notion that Kiwis audiences don’t love horror movies should check the receipts for supernatural spookfest Smile – nearly $880,000 and counting – after three-and-a-half weeks on release.
A24
Ti West’s X had a small cinematic release in April of this year.
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What’s particularly galling is Pearl’s non-appearance seems to be a direct result of the bungled distribution of its predecessor X. Despite rave reviews and a Wellington premiere, Australian handlers Roadshow seemed reluctant to promote it here, steering it towards art-house cinemas, rather than seeking out the weekend/late-night multiplex audiences who would have embraced Ti West’s 1970s-set film’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes. Stuff to Watch understands they declined to be involved with Pearl’s distribution.
Who will be is still somewhat of a frustrating mystery, one that must be galling for the NZFC – sitting on a potential hit that showcases stunning locations and the craft of our set builders, costume designers and visual and practical effects experts. Maybe there’s a case for the commission to look to become their own distributors – at least on our shores – where we’ve made a sizeable investment in, or significantly economically aided, a production. Perhaps that should be part of any “government” tax break – an assurance that Kiwi audiences will get to see the finished product (although that may be a step too far).
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Kiwi cinemagoers are praying for a miracle that Pearl might just find someone willing to release the film on our shores.
What is certain is that we’re missing out on one of the most inventive and wildly entertaining horror movies in years.
The cinematic love child of Wizard of Oz and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Pearl was conceived while director West and star Mia Goth waited out their two weeks hotel isolation before shooting X in rural areas in and around Whanganui.
Set 60 years before that tale (cleverly during the pandemic of 1918, given the government restrictions at the time of the shoot), it focuses on war bride Pearl’s (Goth) attempts to emulate the Silver Screen stars she so adores and find the fame and fortune that might take her far away from her parent’s isolated Texas farm.
Supplied
Mia Goth has been earning plenty of plaudits for her fabulous, over-the-top performance in Pearl.
Featuring dance numbers, former Nothing Trivial and Shortland Street star Tandi Wright as Pearl’s maniacal German-speaking mother and a rotting cooked pig, Pearl has justifiably also been generating awards buzz for Goth (which, if it resulted in a significant nomination, would make its continued unavailability here even more unbearable).
While she’s superb throughout, evoking memories of the best of Bette Davis or Christina Ricci, it’s in the last few minutes that she really ramps it up. A stunning near-seven-minute confessional, stream-of-consciousness monologue is followed by what can only be described as a jaw-dropping held-smile over the end credits that increases in intensity and in unnerving the audience the longer it goes on.
Pearl is worth seeing for those 10 minutes alone – I just hope for Kiwi movie lovers, that’s sooner rather than later.
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