Perfect Sense

Reunited with Ewan McGregor, Young Adam director David Mackenzie helms this high concept, pseudo-apocalyptic vision concerning the threat of a global virus. Instead of grisly deaths or zombification, Perfect Sense offers a glimpse at societal collapse as a result of the sequential loss of our five ‘main’ senses. Crucially the script focuses on the senses required to interact with others, rather than, say, proprioception. (Presumably a film about people losing their ability to tell where their arms are without looking at them would be pretty odd.)

From the first instance of global sense loss, the audience is left anticipating which is next to go. At its best this structure creates palpable tension, though it teeters on becoming a countdown to when the cinema lights go up. Mackenzie does some of his best work offsetting this suspense with a burgeoning relationship between a chef (McGregor) and an epidemiologist (Eva Green). At times the film lacks in confidence and could rely far less on Green’s narration, especially in its conclusion.