Perfect (Haines, 2026) Review: The Reality Behind Wanting Everything to be Perfect

It is what we all want, is it not? Perfection. Yes, our perfect selves, but also perfect relationships, perfect environment, the list goes on and on. Somehow, however, the definition of perfect has been warped and it is possible that we do not truly know what it means anymore. Is it important that our lives are perfect? No, not in the slightest. So the question is, why do we continue to strive for it in at least one aspect of our life?

Reassurance, justification, acceptance. The idea of wanting to be perfect to someone is explored throughout Millicent Hailes’ Perfect. In the most bizarre way, the film is not entirely about being perfect in the slightest. It takes that idea and hangs it by a thread. Weaving it in throughout, the audience expects to get one thing and are given something completely different. For a film titled Perfect, you will notice that the world and people are anything but.

Contaminated water supplies devastate the world’s population. Following a bad breakup, Kai (Ashley Moore) broke, lost, and lonely, lives on the road out of her car. She struggles through each day until one day fate has intervened and she winds up at a gas station on the side of the road and meets a gangle of misfits. They lead her down the road to a utopian lake, filled with pure water and a happy life. Living out of an escapist reality, the group includes mysterious and pregnant Mallory (Julia Fox). Wealthy and apparently lonely, Mallory takes Kai under her wing and brings her home where they create what appears to be a life together. Despite being vastly different the connection Kai and Mallory form is something all too perfect. However, as they learn more about each other, the true layers of Mallory’s life are uncovered and the secrets she bears are revealed.

When a filmmaker brings you right into the world from the beginning, the film becomes all the more entertaining. Instead of waiting too long to be introduced to the characters and their situations, Hailes jumps right in. Fantasizing, masturbation, all heightened with the music and editing. Each choice feels precise and allows the audience to connect even more.

Young, alone, queer and questioning, Kai is clearly unaware of what she wants in life, or what she is capable of doing. Of course it all makes sense how pleased she is when a mysterious older woman takes interest in her. As some may wish they were in Kai’s position, we all know that everything seems all too perfect. Claiming to be an artist looking for inspiration, the viewer is made to feel that Mallory simply sees Kai as her newest muse. But with her creativity, Hailes knows how to play with genre and keeps audiences wanting to know more.

“Nothing’s ever really perfect though is it?”

The way in which Mallory takes Kai somewhat under her wing is mysterious. As an outsider, you question how Kai can be so trusting. But when you take it into perspective the situation Kai has lived through, it only makes sense that she wants a comforting and caring figure in her life. The romantic relationship they develop too is all too perfect. Yet, for some viewers in the audience, you cannot help but understand the desire. It is clear that they are all hiding something from one another, and as the viewer you want to know too. The secrets come out and the viewer watches as Kai’s world unfolds in front of them.

A stylized film that can impact a specific viewer more than most. It is made with a particular audience in mind, and even if you are not that audience, you cannot help but feel the sensations of Kai. Wanting to be loved, accepted, and wanting to be perfect is a universal idea. In such a creative way, Hailes explores this idea through an apocalyptic setting. Premiering at the 2026 SXSW, the world in Perfect is ultimately anything but. With compelling performances by Julia Fox and Ashley Moore, you will not be able to keep your eyes off this wild ride.