Film Reviews: What's Expected Of Us [The Perfection, 2019]

The Perfection (2019)

[Reader disclaimer: there will be spoilers discussed. This piece also contains material of a sensitive nature].

For a few weeks now, the dark, film-orientated corners of the Twittersphere have been buzzing about an upcoming film to be released on Netflix called The Perfection (2019), a film which I had no interest in besides the fact that Allison Williams was starring in it, an actress who I've been keen to watch ever since witnessing her incredible performance in Get Out (2017).

So, I went into this film totally blind, only knowing of the praise it had received online. I can with 100% clarity tell you now that this film is, apart from Us (2019), the best horror I have seen this year hands down. 

We are introduced to our 'protagonist', Charlotte (played by Williams): a veteran cellist who had to take years out of her career at the cello academy known as Bachoff to care for her sick mother. The film opens with the death of said mother and Charlotte reaching out to her tutor, Anton (played by Steven Weber) to rejoin the world of classical music in any way she could, which leads her to become a supporting judge for a cello competition in Shanghai. 

Here, dear readers, is where I started to fall in love with this film. Charlotte meets Lizzie (played by Logan Browning), Anton's current protege: she exudes a kind of sensual confidence and intimidating albeit erotic vibe, completely contrasting Charlotte's quieter, kinder demeanour. 

The dichotomy of the two characters is the centerpiece of this film. The dynamic between Williams and Browning on screen is spellbinding, something akin to the two heroines in films such as Martyrs (2008) or Black Swan (2010): there's also something to be said about having a strong, queer, WOC character at the forefront of this film, especially considering that it's a horror. I instantly fell in love with my new favourite power couple and that's when things took an unusual but exciting turn.

Admittedly, the first five minutes or so of The Perfection are...messy. It's a little too reliant on exposition and the editing is quirky but sometimes distracting. However, as the narrative progresses with Lizzie and Charlotte teaming up to travel, we see Lizzie's decent into the psychotic: having taken ibuprofen for her hangover, Lizzie begins to throw up violently, experience diarrhea and finally her flesh is seen to be infested with bugs.

At this point, I'm nodding at the television. Ahh, this is a body horror and a psychological thriller, I get it now. No, I didn't get it. Because as soon as the bugs burst through Lizzie's hand, Charlotte hands her a cleaver and the poor bitch chops her hand clean off. Then, the film does something I didn't expect: it rewinds. 

A motif used in other films such as Funny Games (1997), rewinds in films often demonstrate a need to show something prior or to change the narrative: in this case, it was the former, and it shows how Charlotte not only orchestrated Lizzie's madness by drugging her with her dead mother's pills that can cause hallucinations, but through suggestion alone, managed to convince Lizzie to cut off her own hand due to bugs that weren't actually there.

This pivotal scene in the second act (titled "Detour") sets the tone of this film perfectly. It's weird, it's gnarly where it needs to be, and it's clever. And what sent me through a loop is that, whilst in the second act I had deduced that this film was a body horror/thriller, the third act (titled "Home") then conveyed shots and musical scores generic to slasher films. 

Now you're probably thinking, 'well damn, so Charlotte is the antagonist, then'. Wrong again. It's slowly revealed that Anton the music teacher is actually a rapist and a man who is willing to sexually abuse children in order for them to achieve greatness, to achieve "the Perfection". Lizzie, his protege, had been brainwashed to believe that her trauma was invalid, that her suffering made her the brilliant cellist she was: it's not until she cuts off her hand, a deluded but ingenious ploy by Charlotte to bring her back into reality, that the young woman accepts that what Anton did was wrong and not justifiable at all.

This is where the true subgenre of the film surfaces: this isn't just a body horror, a psychological thriller, a slasher...this is a rape-revenge film. And it's a fucking good one. 

What I think is so important about this is how it handles that subject matter. Rape in horror films is a difficult one to analyse and judge, because none of us condone it, but we're still willing to say it's necessary in a horror film to showcase a character getting "stronger": in this case, Lizzie and Charlotte's abused past isn't what defines them, in fact, they're only accepting of that trauma once they're out of the Bachoff headspace of achieving perfection, finally able to see Anton for what he is. 

One of the best scenes in this film is in the fourth act (titled "Duet") in which Anton not only tries to justify his actions by saying that he made them better people but pleads that he is sick and only needs to get help for the situation to be rectified. In reality, this happens far too often to many women, wherein their abuser or rapist either denies what they've done or twist it to have some kind of meaning: in reality, there is no meaning or just cause for rape, and those responsible should be held accountable, no matter what. 

In the end, The Perfection has become a solid favourite from me. I ended up watching it twice in one night because my housemate came home and I begged him to sit and watch it with me. I cannot say enough good things about this film, about how it shows the pressure of an industry hellbent on disciplining its students in inhumane ways, about how rape doesn't empower a woman to be better but only demonstrates how evil men and their backwards logic can be, and about how women in horror films can be queer, people of colour, mentally ill but still survive until the end (and deserve to). 

Overall rating: 9/10

- K

Film Reviews: I'm A Good Farmer! [The Locals, 2003]

The Locals (2003)

[Reader disclaimer: spoilers will be discussed].

When I was a young, impressionable teen, my neighbour came over to watch horror films with me: I had a huge crush on her at the time and I was eager to see what her taste in gore was like. She brought over a few of her favourites, one being Lake Placid (1999) and one that I'd never heard of before: The Locals (2003).

I recently had to track this New Zealand b-movie down because I couldn't for the life of me remember its name, anybody who had starred in it or what year it came out. And there's probably good reason for that: the director (Greg Page) never went on to direct anything else and none of the actors proceeded to do anything notable, other than Dwayne Cameron who has starred in films with A-list celebrities like Nicolas Cage and Guy Pearce. 

So The Locals focuses on Paul (Cameron) and Grant (Johnny Barker), two "bros" with a banter-filled friendship that conveys an uncharacteristically but welcomed tenderness to their characters. We often see lead men in horror films who are ham-headed and make nonsensical decisions, so it's actually refreshing to see these two interact in a playful yet caring way.

Paul decides to take a shortcut across the countryside for their trip and discovers two girls at the bridge who want the boys to come and party with them. These siren-esque, 80s party girls are the catalysts for what is to unfold but one has to question why they lure the boys into the village in the first place, knowing what we find out as the narrative unravels...but we'll get to that in a minute.

The boys discover that the inhabitants of the countryside are farmers and families in some kind of rural purgatory, forced under the tyrannical reign of Bill (Peter McCauley), a waxy, undead, discount Charles Dance. The man screams intimidation but I found early on (and conclusively towards the end) that he was a very one-dimensional character that could've benefited from being fleshed out a little more. 

There's even a throwaway comment that Martin (Paul Glover) makes halfway through the film about Bill murdering his wife every night, which sounds disturbing as hell: why on earth would he do that, if not for a sadistic streak/psychological trauma? I would've liked to have seen more of it, rather than a lanky old guy standing on his truck of minions and slowly making his way through the film, trying to round up the boys.

I will say that: the pacing of The Locals is all over the place. In some parts, it feels incredibly drawn out, stifling any sense of suspense or urgency. Then it'll do a 180 and crash-course its way through things that I think they could've spent more time exploring: for example, Martin's character goes from cryptid and presenting himself as a helper archetype to deranged lunatic who spends an abnormal amount of time back chatting with a decapitated skull. I could've bought his character being unhinged if it weren't for the fact that, one or two scenes prior, he was totally lucid. 

But what made me want to watch this film again is its ability to make the audience empathise with the characters. After discovering that the countryside people cannot die (in essence, they are ghosts) and will simply rise again (shown in parts through stop motion, which I actually enjoyed, as it was reminiscent of 80s horror e.g. Frank's reanimation in Hellraiser (1987)), it is revealed in the last act that during a tumble Paul takes earlier on in the narrative, he actually died as a result.

This moment is actually quite heartbreaking because, in comparison to other horror films with poignant deaths, there's a real sense of tragedy watching Paul and Grant interact after they discover the former's corpse: Grant doesn't want to lose his best friend but Paul tearfully pleads him to remove his body from the countryside so that he can rest in peace, essentially asking Grant in a subtle way to mercy kill him (again).

The one thing I can say from rewatching The Locals is that, despite it being a very low-budget horror and featuring some questionable writing in places, it feels genuine. I can tell a lot of effort and love went into creating this film and I honestly feel that pays off in the end. I'd recommend giving it a go: it might be a little niche and unheard of but it's definitely a decent watch.

Overall rating: 7/10

- K

Exploring Villains: Clown Edition

[Reader disclaimer: I would think this is obvious but avoid reading if you suffer from coulrophobia, a.k.a the fear of clowns].

Their giggles haunt your nightmares. Their sadistic, painted grin is slapped on every poster. Clowns, those animatic monsters, have been a trending horror trope in recent years...but are they really that scary?

Origins

So, what is a clown? A guy who slaps white grease-paint on and honks his nose for a living? Well, clowns can be traced back a fair bit, the earliest instance of the word being recorded in the 1500s: they were archetypes often used in Italian comedies (commedia dell'arte), representing the lower class as hilariously stupid and inadequate people. 

He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

Clowns marry comedy and tragedy harmoniously, truly embodying schadenfreude: when we see a clown spray another in the face with a seltzer bottle, we laugh at their misfortunes because we too can sympathise with the indignation of public humiliation and betrayal from our friends. In essence, the clown character represented the people and became something both recognisable and relatable.

Tragedy into horror

It (1990)

The true frontrunner of clowns in the horror genre is undoubtedly Pennywise, a nightmare-inducing shapeshifter dreamed up by Stephen King in the 1980s. When It (1990) was released, the world was in a frenzy over this killer clown, appalled by the subversion of a children's entertainer being something of a monster.

The reason, I believe, that clowns are considered scary and phobia-worthy is because their nature is to be childlike and innocent, unseeming and jovial. What was once considered a character that we could sympathise with and laugh at has transformed into a character of deception, murderous intent and leaves you with an unwavering sense of unease (much like the trope of children and animals in horror films, which Stephen King has also explored with Pet Sematary (1989) and Cujo (1983)). 

Pennywise, however, stands out because his character is supernatural: It, so to speak, is an alien entity that landed on Earth and rises every 27 years to eat people like animal crackers. The true nature of clowns in horror is that they could be anyone, they could be a neighbour or a friend or just some entertainer hired to ruin your 6-year old's birthday party: they're one of us, masked by makeup and a fake smile.

Ranked: Iconic Clowns

So, who is the best horror clown? Well, I've listed a few of my favourites below with their name, origin movie and why (in my opinion) they cause such a visceral reaction from their intended audiences.

It (2017)

Pennywise

Played by: Bill Skarsgård
Who is he?: A cosmic entity who came to earth and rises every 27 years to feed on humans
Scare rating: 7/10. His 1990 incarnation (famously played by Tim Curry) was too whimsical and likable to be scary and I think that, despite the enlarged forehead, Skarsgård is also pretty simplistic until he bears his teeth. The wandering eyes is absolutely creepy, though.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Captain Spaulding

Played by: Sid Haig

Who is he?: The owner of Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Madmen, a lover of fried chicken and murdering innocent people, and a lovable asshole.

Scare rating: 5/10. In general, Spaulding's appearance isn't hugely threatening, at least not as much as the gun he wields or the verbally abusive things he says. His look is iconic, however, and I consider him to be my favourite horror clown.

Zombieland (2009)

Clown Zombie

Played by: Derek Graf

Who is he?: Simply referred to in the credits as 'Clown Zombie', this absolute mad-lad was never actually named in the film, so your guess is as good as mine!

Scare rating: 8/10. Besides the eye-watering, gaudy outfit, I think it's safe to assume that anyone would be terrified of this guy. He's a clown and he's an undead cannibal: you do the math.

Gacy (2003)

Pogo

Played by: Mark Holton

Who is he?: Unfortunately, this one is based in reality. Pogo represents the real life serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who kidnapped and murdered young men in the 70s.

Scare rating: 6/10. On appearance alone, Pogo is more so grotesque than he is scary, but there's something unnerving about the bold colours across his mouth and eyes and the fact that he was modelled after a man who committed truly disturbing crimes.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Klown Performers

Played by: Various people

Who are they?: As the title suggests, these are "klowns", which are basically aliens who look like interpretative versions of clowns. 

Scare rating: 9/10. Look at them. These things look absolutely insane, like caricatures of clowns on acid or Mr Blobby wearing a skin suit. The entire film is based on how people don't take them seriously because of how ridiculous they look and yet they're secretly dangerous, which I think is complete horseshit: if I saw these things coming, I'd run a mile in the opposite direction. 

Terrifier (2016)

Art

Played by: David Howard Thornton

Who is he?: Art the Clown is an enigmatic serial killer who seemingly possesses supernatural abilities and derives enjoyment from torturing his victims

Scare rating: 8/10. Art's character is, stylistically speaking, incredibly innovative and intimidating: modelled on the clown archetype of 'Pierrot', he dons a monochromatic look and a smile that would make Conrad Veidt proud. I think what makes Art perfect for horror is his silent demeanour: his lack of empathy and communication makes for a wonderfully demonic portrayal of an unhinged human being, masquerading as a clown blanc. 

Honourable mentions

Twisty (John Carroll Lynch) - American Horror Story (2011-)

Stitches (Ross Noble) - Stitches (2012)

Frowny (Eli Roth) - Clown (2014)

Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt) - The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Clown pandemic

You might now be wondering if I am afraid of clowns and, truthfully, I have to say I'm not. I appreciate why people are afraid of them but to me, they're just performers in eccentric makeup: the only thing I find horrific about them is their constant need for audience participation...no thanks.

So, are clowns meant to be feared? Are they really that scary? I suppose that isn't for me to say but my unsolicited opinion is that there isn't anything to be afraid of. Coulrophobia, unless instigated by PTSD/severe trauma, is an irrational fear: that isn't to invalidate anybody's phobia of clowns but it is to say that there isn't a definitive reason as to why clowns are scary.

The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Many people cite Pennywise as the source of clown discomfort, as he became a popular figure in horror culture: others derive their fear from monsters such as John Wayne Gacy, who wasn't a fictional character but a real person in clown makeup, luring people into a false sense of security and butchering them. I've even heard of someone on Reddit who fears clowns due to the Joker character from the DC franchise.

It's interesting to me that such an innocent and enjoyable character has been subverted to be a thing of nightmares, a collective posterboy for perverse and chaotic death. I imagine the trope of 'evil clown' will wear out its welcome eventually: I wouldn't mind seeing a horror film where the clown is the hero/sidekick, just to subvert the subversion for once.

- K