When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams) seeks out Elizabeth (Logan Browning), the new star pupil of her former school, the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences. – (Source)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84% (Critics) / NA (Audience)
MetaScore: 60 – mixed or average reviews
Directed By: Richard Shepard
Written By: Richard Shepard and Eric C. Charmelo
Starring: Allison Williams, Logan Browning and Steven Weber
Studio: Netflix

The Good:
The chemistry between Allison Williams and Logan Browning was electric even before things turned physical. The two of them played well of of one another and really clicked as a romantic coupling and as partners-in-crime.

Steven Weber gave a masterclass in elitist WASPy creepiness. Every second he was on-screen I felt an urge to punch him in his smug face and this is coming from someone who has been a fan of Weber’s since WINGS.

The cinematography on this movie was amazing. From the inventive camera angels and framing of scenes (a deeper dive on this can be found on the Netflix Film Twitter page) makes for an elegant viewing experience even when things take a turn into the grotesque.

That final scene was goofy as all hell but it looked amazing and somehow fit with all the prior goofiness this movie gave us.

The Bad:
The first 15-20 minutes of THE PERFECTION is really enjoyable but once the plot moves into high gear it just becomes an ugly, muddled and at times ridiculous film. The motivations of Charlotte (Williams) are the motivations of a maniac yet once her reasons for doing what she does to Liz (Browning) are revealed, Charlotte’s awfulness is swept hand-waved aside as if there was a valid point to what she did.

By the time the hand-waving comes the film has decided that Charlotte isn’t a villain despite doing something monstrous because there are bigger villains that need to be dealt with so Charlotte must be a hero of sorts. It is a ridiculous turn that could have possibly not come off as so tone deaf and off-putting if the movie took some time to delve into Charlotte’s and Liz’s shared personal traumas before deciding to make them into #MeToo era avenging angels.

The Ugly:
So many (too many!!!!) scenes of gross liquids shooting out of Logan Browning’s body…from both ends.

Final Verdict: A beautifully shot, well-acted provocative movie that goes off the rails very early on and just gets progressively more unfortunate as time goes on.

Grade: C