The Twists and Turns of "The Perfection"

Thrillers and horror films often provide an ample canvas for filmmakers to paint some unique cinematic moments. Some movies play with the established conventions of the genre, offering new spins on stories we’ve seen before, like director Drew Goddard’s The Cabin In The Woods (2011), which he co-wrote with Joss Whedon. Others go for the subtle, slow building rhythms of a nightmare, like Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015), or the genre bending, pedal to the medal horrors of Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018). Director Richard Shepard’s psychological terror tale The Perfection (2019) touches upon all of these styles, offering a wild, twist-laden mix of thriller, horror and revenge drama that will keep you guessing about what’s really going on until the very end.

Allison Williams

Charlotte Wilmore, a talented cellist, leaves a world-renowned music school to care for her ill mother. Years later, after her mother’s passing, Charlotte re-connects with Anton, her former teacher and mentor, who’s hosting an event in Shanghai. The concert features a performance by his protégé, Lizzie, who had replaced Charlotte as Anton’s star pupil. Charlotte and Lizzie hit it off, and spend the night together. The two lovers decide to take a vacation, and that’s when things start to go very wrong. Lizzie isn’t feeling well, and her condition worsens, making her uneasy and paranoid. But that’s just the beginning of a fateful series of events. Be warned, there are dark (and gory) times ahead, and Lizzie and Charlotte’s lives will never be the same.

The cadence of the performances is definitely a key to the success or failure of a film like this. If you hit the wrong note (pun intended), things can quickly go off the rails. The Perfection  benefits from the work of three fine actors in the central roles. Allison Williams (who was great as the girlfriend in Get Out) offers a stunning turn as Charlotte, and her co-star Logan Browning, who portrays Lizzie, ably matches her with some multi-faceted work. Steven Weber gives a deceptively laid back performance as Anton, which subtly hints at the character’s inner depths. None of these people are what (or who) they seem on the surface. To say more about the characters or the story would ruin some of the film’s spring-loaded surprises.

 The Perfection offers twists, turns, reveals and reversals in equal measure. The direction by Richard Shepard keeps things spinning along at a brisk pace. Fans of David Lynch, Korean horror films, and 1980s erotic thrillers will definitely spot those influences in the clever script, which was co-written by Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder with the director. The kinetic cinematography by Vanja Černjul offers some cool visuals and memorable shots, especially in the film’s climactic sequences. The Perfection is not a film for the squeamish, so if you’re a viewer who can’t take some bloody moments, you may want to opt out on this one. But if you’re looking for an energetic, full-blooded thriller, it’s worth checking out. The film is now available for streaming on Netflix. Here’s a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q57D6kF5B1k.