Bad Hair

 


Name: Bad Hair

Directed By: Justin Simien

Subgenre: Supernatural Creature Feature Comedy

Series: Spooktober 2020 entry #22; review #84

Review: Bad Hair follows our main dame as she navigates a subtle (but also glaringly obvious) racially charged workplace that is moving away from the more "urban" look of the past; in order to fit in, she gets her hair done up with a new, premiere weave...then things start to take a bizarre turn. Bad Hair is a tale about what happens when black women give in to the cultural pressure to adapt their natural hair styles to make others around them (and you know who we're talking about; hint: I look like them) more comfortable. To that end, the social commentary is understandably loud but well done, at least until the third act when Simien takes the film's premise, imbues it with an interesting cultural spin, and then makes a gadarene charge into campy territory. Seriously, the climax act is bonkers, but in a fun way.

While the film could have been a serious, stoic approach to a sensitive subject it, instead, opts for a more lighthearted approach reminiscent of some east Asian horror. As such, film isn't particularly scary, but Simien does manage to weave in some genuinely eerie shots into the craziness of the third act. Overall, Bad Hair is an exploration of autonomy versus conformity for black women, but the complexity and nuance of the visual discussion are quickly replaced by evil, blood-sucking weaves battling each other for supremacy. While fun, the film brings an interesting, unique premise to the table via a demographic that is often completely ignored in the genre, and then does nothing of substance with it; Bad Hair a divisive movie, and criticisms over the film fumbling its thesis are valid--but I'm also a sucker for well-done camp, so here we are. Does that mean the film isn't of value? Of course not! It's a good time, just set your expectations accordingly.




Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 Chads engaged in anime battles using only their hair (was that not the message of the movie...?). Did Bad Hair scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: Bad Hair is available on these platforms.


Official Trailer



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