Thursday, October 24, 2019

THE PERFECTION (2019) ***


Charlotte (Allison Williams) is a former cello prodigy forced out of the limelight when her mother takes ill.  She returns to visit her mentor Anton (Steven Weber) after years apart and strikes up a relationship with his latest discovery Lizzie (Logan Browning).  There are immediate sparks between them, and a night of drinking and partying gives way to a romantic tryst between the two.  The next morning they go out sightseeing and embark on a traveling misadventure where… well... it’s just best left unsaid. 

To say anymore would be to ruin the fun.  Just know that it’s best knowing as little as possible when going into The Perfection.  All I’ll say is that after this and Get Out, if you find yourself secluded with Allison Williams… DON’T TRUST HER!

Director/co-writer Richard (The Linguini Incident) Shepard piles on twist after twist.  So much so, that it sometimes feels like you’re watching three different movies with the same characters.  The opening scenes seem like a twisted version of All About Eve, while the second act plays like a Cronenberg movie, before giving way to a warped variation on Grand Piano.  It all culminates in a perfectly fucked-up final shot.

Getting there requires patience.  It sometimes feels like you’re being jerked around a lot (and you are).  However, let the movie do its thing and you’ll be rewarded with a supremely satisfying ending, even if getting there is a bit of a bumpy ride at times.

Williams’ performance is the best thing about the movie.  She has a tricky role that requires her to seemingly play the innocent victim and the heartless tormentor simultaneously, and she pulls it off.  I also have to commend Weber for sustaining a deft Stanley Tucci impression for ninety minutes.

Ultimately, The Perfection is anything but; however, for fans of twisty thrillers and body horror, it should fit the bill nicely.

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