The Perfection (dir. Richard Shepard, 2019) – Strange events unfold when musical prodigy Lizzie encounters the former star pupil of her school.
Verdict
A deceptively simple thriller slips in slick blood across genres. Avoid trailers at all costs.
Review
Art demands perfection and thrives on competition. This endless pressure to be the best can manifest dangerous demands. In Whiplash, it coerces hurtful abuse out of two musicians in their strive for the ideal.
Borrowing the same note, The Perfection sees the same ghost haunt cello prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams), whose promising career was cut short upon her mother’s illness. When she meets the new star pupil of her former school Lizzie (Logan Browning), she is driven to violent jealousy… or so we are led to believe.

The Netflix chiller soon reveals itself to be a more convoluted labyrinth with dark secrets at every turn. A rewind lets loose revelations that gravely complicate Charlotte’s motive. Bizarre events transpire, delivering consecutive fake-outs that both infuriate and impress.
This is no Black Swan. Themes fall away, stripping the film’s initial facade as a thoughtful psychological thriller. In its place is an over-the-top ploy of grotesque revenge, driven by an imaginative, amorous, and brutal mind.

The skilful execution of the twist galore has us forgive its initial deception, awed by just how blindsided we had been. No sane mind could see where the story is headed, and that is the charm of the film. It is unafraid to embrace the absurd, especially in its third act that may just make David Cronenberg smile.
The pure audacity of those final minutes is enough to have one reeling; the visceral madness in its last frame was but icing on the bloody cake. This understandably frustrates those looking for more. But to that, this horror fan says, well played Mr. Shepard. Well played.
Hi Jade! I caught The Perfection last month on Netflix. I was thrown by the twists and outcomes. No, this is definitely not the Black Swan. Thanks for the great review!
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Me too, it was fantastic to watch the twists unfold. Thanks for dropping by! 🙂
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Thanks for the awesome review!
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Excellent review! This movie… it’s hard to even describe it. You just have to watch it, but to those that do, don’t get set in labeling it because your label will quickly be blown away. I agree about avoiding the trailers, but at the same time part of me thinks seeing the trailers adds to what this movie does…. even though I can’t describe what it does. What a mind bender!
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Thanks for reading, Tony! I couldn’t agree more on how indescribable the film is. It’s one wild, inventive ride that certainly deserves more fanfare.
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I added this one to my Netflix list when it popped up a few weeks ago (months ago?). Unfortunately I saw some of the trailer before I added it… looked delightfully bonkers and I’m looking forward to setting aside some time to watch it. More so now.
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The trailer gives away some, but there’re definitely still surprises in wait. Hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
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