SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! Perfect, the first feature-length film from co-writer/director Milicent Hailes, tells the story of Kai (Ashley Moore). Kai is a 20-something woman who lives in a near-future age of water scarcity. The wealthy have hoarded water. The rest are left with toxic water sources and a constant need to find purified water. A transient girl with a car, Kai’s prerogative is to move from town to town. As she drives, she seeks replenishment of her potable water.
This strategy is highly effective until Kai comes to the town of Breakwater. There are some random smashes and despoil Kai’s car. The story focuses on the aftermath of the car’s destruction. Stranded in Breakwater, Kai meets and befriends Sunny (Lio Mehiel). Sunny is the clerk at the local gas station. He has a tight-knit circle of friends, which he has dubbed his ‘found family’. Intent on adding Kai to said family structure, Sunny includes her in the regular evening parties his found family enjoys.
Perfect is most concerned with Kai’s relationship with Mallory (Julia Fox). A long-time resident of Breakwater, Mallory is a painter. Currently experiencing a dry spell at the fountain of creativity, Mallory spends her time being pregnant and alone at a very nice cabin near a lake in Breakwater. That is her daily rhythm. Until she meets Kai. Then a romance buds between this wealthy older woman and this transient young lady. For 2/3rds, this is the poignant love story set in the time of water scarcity. Eventually, the dramatic turns insist this relationship will first sour, then take a turn for the worse. As this is an eminently watchable film, I shall not spoil the twists and turns. Sufficed to say, nothing is as it seems. Except for Sunny. Sunny is, in fact, a great guy.
“Then a romance buds between this wealthy older woman and this transient young lady.”
Hailes and Kendra Miller have written an evocative and engrossing tale. Perfect is a fascinating and diminutive slice of life. It was very wise for this to be set in the near future, thereby establishing a location that is very easy to decorate and fund. It is scaled as the perfect introductory film for Milicent Hailes. Not only does it demonstrate great budget discipline, but it also displays full control of the story. Perfect has but one location to work in, and that’s the environment surrounding the town of Breakwater.
Ashley Moore and Julia Fox display stunning on-screen chemistry. There’s a strong affinity developed between their characters, Kai and Mallory. It’s an easy, warm vibe that exists between these two women. The glow Mallory displays as a pregnant woman enhances the romantic and sexual scenes of this film. The movie is definitely for adults. It’s a loving, understanding tale of budding romance. Such a delightful film.
Ultimately, Perfect ends on a bittersweet note long honored in cinema. I shall not reveal the events that lead to that sweet and mildly somber ending. It shall, however, live a long time in my memory. Which is what good films do. Bad films you forget almost instantly. Good ones, like this, you return to as you sit in your mind palace, contemplating great stories. If you enjoy romance, even LGBT romance, seek it out. It’s a good love story.
Perfect screened at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.
"…a good love story."
