Bad Hair

Definitely a must-see for anyone who enjoys horror with a comedic twist.

Don't be fooled by the context (African-American TV show in 1980's LA, and an African-American centric plot).

This is way beyond "hood films", as I've seen some other reviewer call it (I've never heard that one before, but I instantly knew what this guy meant). Case in point: I'm a effing middle-age white european guy miles away from LA and I had a hell of a lot of fun watching this! Not only that, I was watching this and all the while saying to myself "This is so good!".

I've read comments about the story, about the cast... The cast is very good, and the story, although not new, is a very refreshing take on all the tropes it feeds off of. But still, nobody mentions that this was perfectly directed and edited.

In my library, this gets a place next to Ghostbusters. Well, maybe on the shelf below it, but anyway.. this is a great movie nobody will regret watching.

This movie gets a complex balance of themes just right...it's not quite a horror film...far too tongue in cheek and humorous. But the humor is subtle, not in your face. It has some messages but doesn't take itself too seriously. Most of all: the entire cast is extremely committed! Not one phoned in performance. Speaking of the cast, it helps to know the black entertainment industry because a ton of people are in this: where else can you find Blair Underwood, Usher, Laverne Cox, and MC Lyte in small supporting roles? This movie should have you smiling quite a bit...and Vanessa Williams never fails to deliver in her patented Dominique Devereaux attitude...who else can serve up a line like "My Killer Weave Support Group?" Meanwhile, you really don't need to know all but the rudiments of black hair and weaves to get the plot...if you don't: it's a movie in the vein of Death Becomes Her...where vanity comes at a price. Not for nothing, it also gets black 1989 perfectly. The clothes. The music. The conflict between natural and processed hair. The fact that this has such a low rating is incomprehensible to me.

This is a satirical horror film set in the 80's. And it deals with the pressures that black women faced ( are facing) when it comes to the music/video/film industry - setting the bar much higher to look a certain way to be accepted as " beautiful" . And in this case, it is hair weaving to get that particular straight hair look.

We follow Anna played by Elle Loraine, an aspiring executive assistant on a music video show made for black audiences called Culture. Her world is turned upside down when her mentor is removed from the show and is replaced with an ex-model named Zora, played by Vanessa Williams. Zora insists that Anna would be better off if she looked a certain way, suggesting she go to her hairstylist for the new weave ... and ... things don't go well for a whole bunch of people ...

The cinematography was interesting, there were four scenes in particular where the use of colors, shadows and silhouettes was perfect. The 80's was captured brilliantly - as someone who lived through all that it was spot on without being too intrusive. Sometimes period pieces get in their own way - not so with this film. It is a comedy and meant to be campy and there were a few laugh out loud moments for me including one from Vanessa Willaims.

My only complaint was that the run time was a bit long - while the ending was funny in some parts, the final fight went on too long and could have used some "shearing".

'Bad Hair' is directed by Justin Simien and takes in 1989, as an ambitious young woman gets a weave in order to succeed in an image-based music television network. The network, now under new management, sees a bright future for the woman if she adheres to the culture. Her flourishing career may come at a great cost when she realizes her hair may have a mind of its own. This dark comedy horror film looks at African heritage, culture suppression, and workplace toxic culture with a fun slasher twist that I had a lot of fun watching!

First the acting by Elle Lorraine is fantastic. She carries the weight of the film and does it with grace. The moments where they are showing her weave being put in are some of the most disturbing and cringe inducing scenes I witnessed at the festival. The give you PTSD by randomly inserting the horror throughout the film and keeps the audience on their toes and not sure what to expect. The supporting performances are all very strong and they are all having fun in the movie.

The film is incredibly smart in its content, and maybe doesn't realize it's potential toward the end of the film. I loved when the film explored the mystery of the weave, where it came from, what it can do. But that is kinda stopped short and a random "slasher chase sequence" takes you out of the story and is a false ending. If they had shrunk that scene down and gave us the true ending sooner I think this would be the strongest horror film of the year.

Overall, 'Bad Hair' is a fun watch, with good storytelling and great horrific cinematography. There are strong performances and a unique ending, even if the lead up is more generic.

Justin Simien takes a complex message about societal expectations and delivers it using a satirical horror film as his medium. Bad Hair started out with telling the story of a young woman in the entertainment industry who struggles to climb the corporate ladder and afford rent spikes in her recently gentrified neighborhood. Throughout the film, there is an embedded directive that shows the audience how POC's are expected to take their culture and force it into a cookie cutter mold to make other people feel more comfortable. This film also portrays how easy it is to lose sight of one's true self when striving toward a career goal, to the extent of becoming an entirely new person.

For the first half of this movie, I often found my thoughts bouncing between "i thought this was satire?" and "I thought this was horror?" Bad Hair definitely took a while to build to that point, but it was entertaining throughout the entirety.

Elle Lorraine's performance was excellent and came across as very genuine. Vanessa Williams was true to her villainous character and Lena Waithe was a great supporting actress who gave comedic relief at all the right moments. Usher made a few appearances, but they were short lived. Kelly Rowland's scenes were minimal.

The horror elements were quirky, unnerving, and suspenseful. Despite the absurdity of the concept of a "bad weave coming to life," Justin did well on this delivery without compromising quality.