PaThirsty (2022)

Trailer Misdirection, Pearl is still Pearl

Sometimes trailers are misleading. It's something I frequently say whenever people tell me they know what's going to happen because they watched the trailer. I should've heeded my own words. Because this movie was a prime example. I watched the trailer and found myself legitimately mad. And it wasn't even because it was obviously going to be more explicit than the other Gameboys-verse stories. No. The reason I was upset is because that Pearl was not the Pearl I know. I wondered how loose of a grip or loyalty the writers must have to the character. Pearl would not hurt, dare I say backstab, a friend in that way. Pearl wouldn't be that shameless and carefree. That wasn't Pearl. And the comment section obviously agrees - as many of those Pearl-hating comments came either before the release or before it was available internationally.

The trailer did this movie an extreme disservice. So many people who were initially looking forward to more from Pearl started actively hating this movie without even seeing it. Myself, unfortunately, included. But I can tell you, Pearl is still very much Pearl. The whole situation was a result of ineffective communication and poor timing.

The only thing I can fault Pearl for is the fact that after she and Achilles found out their mutual feelings for Ali, she proposed and participated in a dating competition of compatibility. Did she learn nothing from her exploits in "Pearl Next Door" the year prior? I also think I would've handled the ending differently, but I get why she did what she did. It was a very Pearl-like choice.

I had a lot of fun here. I laughed quite a bit, as there were several different types of humor included here (besides the sexual humor which just isn't my thing). There was a lot of rep here as well: bisexual and gay leads; enby, pan, and gay supporting characters that were both campy and nuanced. They supported each other and really built off each other's energy in the scene.

The person I watched this with even said she liked this better than Pearl Next Door.

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