Review: PERFECT (2020)

I found out after I reviewed The Sadist, its director, Jeremiah Kipp (Slapface, Black Wake), is not particularly fond of how it turned out. Thankful he didn’t hold a grudge over my pulling that skeleton out of the closet and offered me a look at his newest short Perfect.

Audrey (Ashley Tyler, Theresa & Allison) is looking for the perfect man. And if she can’t find him, she’s willing to take more drastic measures. We follow her on the night she hopes to finally complete her quest.

Perfect isn’t an overly original film, nor does it try to hide it. From the start, we know what’s going on. It’s a situation somewhere between May and Pieces with a dash of Repulsion. It’s how the story is told that’s the thing here. We find her nervously drinking at a bar. The footage is intercut with her preparations for the evening. Those preparations are interrupted by flashbacks and hallucinations. Or are they apparitions?

Her interactions with her prospective date (Logan Roberts) and the bartender (Adam Leong) are well-realized and build a reasonable amount of suspense. The payoff back at Audrey’s apartment is quite effective and ends with a nod to another classic horror film.

This is the first time I’ve seen Kipp really get bloody. And he certainly packs a lot of it into Perfect’s short run time. We see acts of violence, the immediate aftermath, and some nasty looking, restless victims. This is old-school practical gore too, which makes it even better. Beatrice Sniper (Get My Gun) deserves a lot of credit for the variety and quality of her work.

The script is by Anthony Guilianti based on an idea from the film’s star. It walks a nice line between serious horror and gory fun. The result is an enjoyable short that should be fun for fans that don’t mind the splattery mess.

Perfect will be playing festivals. The film doesn’t have an IMDB or FB page to check for screenings yet. But I’ll update this when one is available.