In an early scene in "The Perfect Teacher," the high school student Devon (Dev) Burkes refers to her fellow student named Apple as "a nasty skeeze." There may have been a certain degree of self-projection in that remark. But while Dev tries to become the apple of her math teacher's eyes, it turns out that Apple herself is one of the unsung heroines of this psychological melodrama.
Jim Wilkes begins his position at Van Westerly High School in Pennsylvania as a dual instructor of mathematics and the girls' volleyball coach. Dev, who is in Mr. Wilkes's trigonometry class, instantly falls for her teacher, and her crush turns into a psychotic obsession. Along the way, Dev confides in her best friend Kinsey (Kins) about the depth her infatuation. Kins will also play a fateful role in the unraveling of the tragic events that unfold.
The unchecked emotions of Dev escalate to the degree that she murders Marissa Wilkes, the ex-wife of Mr. Wilkes, who is planning on moving to San Diego. In order to remain connected to his beloved daughter, Annique, Mr. Wilkes decides to move to California. To prevent the move, Dev uses her SUV to run over Marissa while she is out for a jog.
One of the imaginative cinematic touches of the filmmakers is to make use of fantasy sequences where Dev is imagining an ideal relationship with Mr. Wilkes. One of those clever scenes is to imagine Mr. Wilkes getting on his knee and proposing marriage to her in a sushi bar with the volleyball squad cheering on the happily engaged pair. An even more outlandish episode is the scene after Marissa's funeral, where Dev imagines consummating her relationship with Mr. Wilkes on the couch of his home! The filmmakers save an even more imaginative scene for the film's final moment that evolves visually in the twisted mind of Dev Burkes.
The actress playing the role of Dev deserves kudos for making her character as credible as she appeared on screen. In what could have been a predictably over-the-top vamp, the performer made use of understatement and carefully motivated all of her character's actions. Due to the callousness of Dev's father, Dev's long-suffering mother had taken her own life. The trauma from that unspeakable loss clearly impacted Dev's thinking, as apparent in every moment that drew her to her perfect teacher in the failed quest for peace, self-worth, and redemption.
Jim Wilkes begins his position at Van Westerly High School in Pennsylvania as a dual instructor of mathematics and the girls' volleyball coach. Dev, who is in Mr. Wilkes's trigonometry class, instantly falls for her teacher, and her crush turns into a psychotic obsession. Along the way, Dev confides in her best friend Kinsey (Kins) about the depth her infatuation. Kins will also play a fateful role in the unraveling of the tragic events that unfold.
The unchecked emotions of Dev escalate to the degree that she murders Marissa Wilkes, the ex-wife of Mr. Wilkes, who is planning on moving to San Diego. In order to remain connected to his beloved daughter, Annique, Mr. Wilkes decides to move to California. To prevent the move, Dev uses her SUV to run over Marissa while she is out for a jog.
One of the imaginative cinematic touches of the filmmakers is to make use of fantasy sequences where Dev is imagining an ideal relationship with Mr. Wilkes. One of those clever scenes is to imagine Mr. Wilkes getting on his knee and proposing marriage to her in a sushi bar with the volleyball squad cheering on the happily engaged pair. An even more outlandish episode is the scene after Marissa's funeral, where Dev imagines consummating her relationship with Mr. Wilkes on the couch of his home! The filmmakers save an even more imaginative scene for the film's final moment that evolves visually in the twisted mind of Dev Burkes.
The actress playing the role of Dev deserves kudos for making her character as credible as she appeared on screen. In what could have been a predictably over-the-top vamp, the performer made use of understatement and carefully motivated all of her character's actions. Due to the callousness of Dev's father, Dev's long-suffering mother had taken her own life. The trauma from that unspeakable loss clearly impacted Dev's thinking, as apparent in every moment that drew her to her perfect teacher in the failed quest for peace, self-worth, and redemption.