The Perfection

I seemed to be in the mood for watching films about cellists this weekend as I checked out "The Perfection" on the back of watching 2009's "The Soloist". I can confirm that this was completely incidental and both film's could not be further from one another in plot and genre. But it did make for good viewing. Since this is a more horror/thrilller aimed blog, however, I guess we should focus on "The Perfection"...

"The Perfection" (2019, Richard Shepard, Miramax, Capstone Film Group, Netflix) is a horror about the dangers of aiming for perfection at all costs based around a prestigious music school.

Charlotte (Allison Williams) is a talented cellist who was forced to give up on her dreams of becoming the protege of her teacher and head of the Bachoff music school, Anton (Steven Weber), when her mother became terminally ill and she was needed to care for her. Upon the death of her mother some years later, Charlotte reaches back out to Anton and is invited to be a guest judge on a panel judging some promising young cellists in China hoping to win entry to the Academy along with Anton's current protege, and Charlotte's replacement, Lizzie (Logan Browning). Although reluctant at first, Charlotte and Lizzie strike up a friendship (and then some) and decide to spend a couple of weeks together off the beaten path in China. Things do not go to plan... or do they?

An engaging film that kept my attention throughout the full run time due not only to good story telling and excellent acting, but also some nicely spaced out and visually pleasing gore.

I was not sure what I was in for in this film and went in essentially blind, having only heard that it was "up my street". I can confirm that I found it to be an extremely entertaining 90 minutes with a few plot twists that kept the pacing lively and some really gruesome effects. The first twist caught me completely off-guard and really grabbed my attention.

I enjoyed the way the film managed to get me to flip-flop between loving and loathing different characters as each piece of the puzzle was unveiled and both Williams and Browning give great performances throughout.

Fairly gripping and delivering more than I went in expecting, this one is certainly worth your time.

[Image: Netflix et al]

Hani

Fear Clinic

"Fear Clinic" (2014, Robert Green Hall, Bearing Entertainment, Dry County Films, Fear Chamber Productions, Anchor Bay Entertainment) is based on a web series of the same name. I haven't seen the web series, but it didn't hinder my understanding of the premise of the film.

Dr.Andover (Robert Englund) is a psychiatric doctor who has invented a machine (which is reminiscent of an Iron Lung) which he uses to help his patients confront their greatest fears and phobias, curing them of such.

A group of people who all experienced a traumatic incident together, but who previously were unacquainted, have all been patients of Dr. Andover after the terrible events left them with crippling phobias.

They had thought themselves cured, but a year after their treatments, they all begin to be plagued once again. They independantly return to the clinic, to discover that it is all but shut down and that Dr. Andover is having serious doubts after one patient dies during the treatment and some very real manifestations begin to torture both him and his remaining patients.

So, what to say....

It's a good premise. It's got some really talented genre actors in it and it also has Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour in it (and a shedload of not-so-subtle Slipknot and Stone Sour references laced through it). The characters are fine; some interesting even. Maybe not all developed particularly...

The hallucinations are fun and a little gross with some nice, good old fashioned physical effects. And the setting is as to be expected (creepy, old, run down hospital).

So, why am I not raving its praises? Because it's just not worthy. I was confused due to disjointed scripting and thus bored. And not scared.

Robert Englund's character is haunted and withdrawn. He's meant to be that way; it's part of the story. But it just took away some of his iconic charisma.

But that's not my problem. Essentially my problem was the lack of rules. It felt like they had a concept story and a 'verse planned out and then forgot to cement the rules. By the end it was just all the characters going loopy, which didn't fit with the tense, slow build up throughout the rest of the film. And a mishmash of information given to us at the start was left unused, but not in a clever red-herringy way.

It has a lot of potential but just doesn't deliver what I was expecting. A bit of a disappointment really.

Oh, and as much as I love Robert Englund, I've never ever needed to see so much of his bare backside!

Image: as marked

 

Hani