Perfect Addiction (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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While the narration may feel unnecessary, and many fights don’t pack a punch, Kiana Madeira keeps you locked in.

Director(s)	Castille Landon
Screenplay By	Stephanie Sanditz
Based On	The Book By Claudia Tan
Date Released (In Theaters)	March 27, 2023
Genre(s)	Drama, Romance, Young Adult
Duration	1 Hour 37 Minutes
Content Rating	Rated R
Noted Cast
Sienna	Kiana Madeira
Beth	Bree Winslow
Jax	Matthew Noszka
Kayden	Ross Butler
Julian	Manu Bennett

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Film Summary

For a good portion of her life, Sienna has cared for someone. Beth, her little sister, she has busted her behind to raise. Then when a fighter name Jax comes into her life, she trains him, and after he gets into an accident, she not only nurses him back to health but also into fighting shape. Yet, he blows up their relationship and spends the rest of the movie trying to get her back.

Enter Kayden, a fighter like Jax, who battles in the underground. Under Sienna’s tutelage, honed by the legendary Julian, she takes on Kayden to get back at Jax. But, in the process, she finds herself falling into old habits. Which leaves viewers to wonder whether if she will be able to break this pattern of putting others first, to the detriment of her own goals and career, or will Jax and Kayden, in combination, act as the wake-up call she has long put on snooze?

Things To Note

Why Is “Perfect Addiction” Rated R

• Dialog: Cursing
• Violence: mixed martial arts, blood, people getting hit with chairs
• Sexual Content: Multiple sex scenes with creative camera angles so that there isn’t nudity
• Miscellaneous: Drinking

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Sienna

Sienna is the type of person who loves to take care of and better other people. Hence, most of her relationships are more about the other person and their needs rather than Sienna’s. But, while the love is appreciated and taken advantage of, it isn’t often reciprocated. Thus, even though Sienna is trying to eventually transition to a fighter, she has found herself stunted and lacking the encouragement to go beyond being a trainer.

Beth

Beth is Sienna’s little sister who is finding herself and lacks loyalty.

Jax

Jax is a fighter who Sienna becomes quite smitten with until he blows their relationship up.

Kayden

Kayden is a loner, a brother of one of Sienna’s friends, and an underground fighter Sienna thinks could go legit.

Julian

Julian owns UFG and has a storied career as a fighter. He also is Sienna’s mentor as, a trainer, and the person who keeps pushing her to lessen training others and start fighting in the ring herself.

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

Highlights

Sienna’s Fight Scene

For the majority of the movie, Sienna is training with others, and seeing her take down Jax and Kayden are highlights. But, when Julian has her do an exhibition match with a fighter? That is truly the best fight of the whole film and one of the few that really hook you in. This isn’t to say the other fights are bad, especially since Jax fights dirty. However, between the choreography and camera angle tricks, they don’t have the same feeling of two people fighting as Sienna has in her only full fight.

Madeira As A Leading Lady

Setting aside the highlight, the fight scene, what drives “Perfect Addiction” is Madeira. Her charm and chemistry with damn near any actor she is with make “Perfect Addiction” come off better than it actually is. I truly mean this movie is carried by Madeira, and it’ll make you thankful the film is built around her vs. trying to be an ensemble.

The Creative Camera Angles For The Sex Scenes

There are a multitude of sex scenes in the film which carefully angle things, almost like they want a PG-13 rating but still want to be hot and steamy. So while there are three-way fantasies, shower sex, and hot and heavy moments, the film avoids any real nudity while still making you feel a bit perverted for watching two people have a private moment.

On The Fence

Narration Throughout The Movie

Something about the narration takes the seriousness out of the movie. It gives a very juvenile vibe, especially as it gives far more details and set up to “Perfect Addiction” than ever necessary. Luckily, by the tail end of the movie, this narrative device dissipates, but its existence can feel like a commentary track you don’t know how to turn off.

The Jax Drama

Jax being unwilling to let Sienna go after screwing up is annoying. Granted, at one time, Sienna and Jax were cute, their intimate scenes were hot, and some part of you wanted to root for them. But once that is over, honestly, him popping up repeatedly and being rejected each time, it gets old. It makes the movie feel longer than it is, but it also sweetens the possibility of Kayden, or even Sienna, knocking Jax out.

If You Compare The Training & Fight Scenes To Other Movies, “Perfect Addiction” Pales In Comparison

While there is a need to praise the camera angles for allowing hot and heavy scenes that doesn’t show much, I wouldn’t say the camera tricks benefit the fight scenes. When Kayden or Jax are fighting, most of their battles lack a need to flinch, to be impressed by their maneuver, and there is just too much movie magic or choreography. Which, if you compare this film to productions like “Creed,” leaves you wanting more.

Especially since, alongside the fights not delivering a nice payoff, the training, as much as I know I couldn’t keep up, doesn’t get you hyped. Ultimately leaving you recognizing what the actors have done you may not be capable of, but at the same time, wishing the reins were loosened a bit, maybe the sound edited differently, to give the pain and hits more impact.

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Ending Spoilers

A summary of how “Perfect Addiction” (2023) ended, its major storylines, and whether a prequel or sequel is possible.

How Did It End?

Sienna ultimately gets her wish, and despite Jax attacking Kayden, even cracking a rib, when they face off, Kayden defeats Jax. However, in retaliation, Jax goes for a sucker punch and knocks Sienna out for three days. This happening to her leads to Kayden thinking this is his fault, similar to his mom dying due to him being irresponsible. So, with that in mind, and seeing Sienna’s patterns of focusing on others to neglect herself, he essentially abandons her.

Seeing an opening, Jax, once again, tries to get back into Sienna’s life, despite cheating on her with her impressionable younger sister Beth. But, as before, Jax is rejected but also forgiven. Sienna is at a point of releasing Jax from his sins and moving on completely. She plans on focusing on becoming a fighter instead of just training fighters, and with Julian behind her, she feels she is ready.

But Julian won’t stand alone. Beth also is forgiven and welcomed back into the fold after breaking up with Jax, and, despite the abandonment, Kayden returns, and it seems Sienna’s forgiveness of him may allow him back into her heart.

Is There Sequel/ Prequel Potential?

Considering we only got to see Sienna in an exhibition match, a sequel could feature your usual sports movie come up for her. Maybe in the vein of “Creed,” in terms of balancing a credible romance with a fighting career.

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