The Perfection (2018)

When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte seeks out Elizabeth, the new star pupil of her former school, the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.

Review

Director Richard Shepard (Dom Hemingway) brings The Perfection to the screen, and having seen the trailer - but little else - I went into it pretty cold. That's a good thing for this one. This review is going to be spoiler free, so you should be safe, but the less you know of The Perfection, the better.

Looking at Shepard's career, The Perfection is a step outside of his comfort zone. While the opening act may be rooted in drama - with an uneasiness that Shepard projects wonderfully - as soon as the second act hits the film firmly moves into horror territory. I assume that Shepard was going for it, but the film has a similar feel to Jordan Peele's Get Out.

The direction is interesting, standard directorial choices are solid, but there are some very interesting directorial selections that make for a great watch - and certainly some sudden story telling twists, which were, to say the least, refreshing.

The plot is subdued, and writers Eric C. Charmelo (Supernatural), Richard Shepard (The Hunting Party), and Nicole Snyder (Supernatural) manage to subvert the expectations of the audience at every turn. The film rides to a spectacle of a conclusion which casual viewers will never see coming.

From the beginning of the second act the horror aspect of the film ramps throughout to the conclusion - and in places it's not for the squeamish. Some of it is just damn right gross, and other parts equally sickening and horrific. I give director Shepard props for his clever use of practical effects as well as some spot on CGI.

Cast in the lead is Allison Williams (Get Out) who does a good job here. She's got a good background  and has a variety of talents on show here, from innocent victim to maniacal psycho. She is clearly a great actor, and has a lot to look forward to in the industry. Second lead goes to Logan Browning (Brotherly Love) who has a solid background in TV, but shows extraordinary range here. The casting here is perfection. Rounding it out is character actor Steven Weber (Crawlspace) and Alaina Huffman (Supernatural). The cast really can't be faulted in any way.

Overall it's a good horror film, possibly one of the best this reviewer has seen in a while. It's fresh, new, and has some great talent on show. I can't tell you why I'm not giving it five stars though. There was something, somewhere in the film that I felt was off, but I can't say what, or where. I have nothing bad to say about it, it was just a feeling. That said, I highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror, subversion of expectations, or indeed Get Out.