The Perfection serves up images that you won’t soon forget and that may revisit you in your nightmares.
A movie critic friend of mine recommended The Perfection to me by calling it a “lean and taut” thriller. A day or two later, a co-worker echoed his words and added that it was “trippy.” Two recommendations were enough to pique my interest. Without even checking to see what the film was about, I queued it up on Netflix — which is currently the only place to see it — and settled in for the ride. Ninety minutes later, I was faced with the conundrum of trying to write a review that allows you to experience it as I did: with no idea what I was about to witness. That’s impossible, of course, but I will say that their recommendations were warranted. If that’s enough to get you to check it out, feel free to do as I did. Just take heed of this one warning: be prepared to be grossed out.
Charlotte (Allison Williams) was a child prodigy cello student at the Bachoff Music Academy. When her mother took ill, Charlotte had to leave the Academy to help take care of her. After her mother dies, Charlotte seeks out her former teacher, Anton (Steven Weber), and wants to reconnect. This takes her to Shanghai, China, where Anton is presiding over a scholarship competition for the Academy. Judging the competition will be his current prodigy, Lizzie (Logan Browning), who joined the Academy just as Charlotte was leaving.
Charlotte and Lizzie spark together sexually and, after an alcohol-fueled night of passion, find themselves planning a vacation together. However, things change quickly when Lizzie becomes violently ill. When it becomes apparent that this isn’t a simple hangover, The Perfection launches into one weird and brutal ride.
Director of photography Vanja Cernjul and effects company Zoic Studios pair up to deliver some stomach-churning visual compositions. The Perfection serves up images that you won’t soon forget and that may revisit you in your nightmares.
Thankfully, there is more here than gross-out imagery. Director Richard Shepard (The Matador) and co-writers Eric C. Charmelo and Nicole Snyder keep the narrative sufficiently off-kilter to prevent things from ever becoming predictable. Allison Williams, who was so effective in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, is once again in her element here. She’s demure, ferocious, and conniving — sometimes all in the same scene. Logan Browning is simply electric as Lizzie.
The Perfection is definitely not perfect and, if one thinks about it too much afterwards, the plot holes may ruin the fun. So far, though, it’s one of the more surprising films I’ve seen this year. This would be a great movie to watch with friends and discuss afterwards. Just keep the barf bags handy.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Watch on Netflix!
