By Mark Hockley
Alastair Train’s PEARLS is a compact study in how private anxieties can corrode the foundations of a relationship. The film adopts a measured, almost clinical tone as it follows Tony, a man whose inability to face his fertility problems drives him toward an ill-considered remedy.
Rory Murphy gives Tony a guarded, brittle quality, suggesting a man desperate to maintain control even as he feels it slipping. Helen Jessica Liggat’s portrayal of Linda is quietly compelling; her composure reveals more than any confrontation could. Then there’s Mark Wingett’s performance as the oyster seller which introduces a steady, disquieting pressure into the narrative. This is not through overt threat but through the unsettling certainty with which he offers his solution.
Train’s visual approach is economical. Rather than dramatic shocks, the film relies on a slow tightening of atmosphere, using suggestion to convey the bodily and emotional consequences of Tony’s choices.
The short runtime of fifteen minutes, compresses the progression of events, at times leaving transitions abrupt, yet the momentum aligns with the subject matter: once denial takes hold, it rarely proceeds gently.
In the end, PEARLS stands out for its restraint. It is a concise, finely controlled piece that treats its subject with seriousness and leaves a clear, lingering impression long after the conclusion.
Pearls screened as part of HollyShorts 2025.
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