PLOT: A young black woman (Elle Lorraine), trying to make it as a VJ at an urban music video network, caves under pressure and invests in a custom-made weave, only to realize that the hair has a life of its own and demands constant blood sacrifice.
REVIEW: Justin Simien broke out at Sundance a few years ago with DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, a solid satire that he not only parlayed into a successful Netflix series but also (arguably) launched Tessa Thompson’s career in a pretty major way. Now he’s back with a thoroughly different style of film, with him tackling genre in what, initially, seems like it’s going to be another satire but winds up becoming a pretty potent horror flick.
Like DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, it’ll no doubt serve as a major launching pad for its star, Ella Lorraine, who makes a big impression as the likeable heroine, Anna. Smart and charismatic, Anna’s seemingly got everything going for her, but after a childhood incident involving relaxer, she’s sworn off straightening her hair, and her natural look isn’t going over well in 1989 L.A in the music biz, even at an “urban” station. All it takes is a visit to a seemingly friendly hairdresser (Laverne Cox) and a pricey weave to turn things around, but little does she know the weave more than has a life of its own.
Simien does some really interesting things here. For one, he crafts a pretty witty, occasionally hilarious satire of 1989 showbiz, complete with shoulder pads, pastels, and none other than James Van Der Beek channeling Don Johnson as a music exec. Everything is pretty spot on here, with Simien especially nailing the faux music videos, all done in that late eighties/early nineties New Jack Swing style (think Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, and New Edition). However, the comic vibe turns out to be deceiving with him digging into African American folklore to ultimately deliver a supernatural parable that has a lot more bite and a lot more gore than you might think.
BAD HAIR gives Simien the chance to spread his wings and he must be a pretty big horror guy, with it having major call-outs both to slasher films of the era and, especially, the early films of Brian De Palma, with the artful lensing and memorable cast of characters (Steve Zissis especially seems to be channeling Dennis Franz in his role as Anna’s predatory landlord). Lorraine has a willowy quality that brings to mind a young Sissy Spacek circa CARRIE, and this is her film through and through. Lena Waithe steals some scenes as the defacto comic relief as things get heavy, while Vanessa Williams seems to be having the time of her life as Zora, Anna’s domineering, possibly psycho boss. She plays it to the hilt, while Kelly Rowland also has a nice part as the Janet Jackson-esque singer Anna idolizes.
If BAD HAIR has any failings it's that, in some ways, it feels a bit like a rough cut. It takes a little too long in the first half to get going, while the uneven VFX in the second half suggests a tight budget, although these are all things that could easily be smoothed out in the interim before it opens. Even as it is though, BAD HAIR is a stylish, witty horror flick that has a lot on its mind and pays tribute to some heavy-hitting influences. It’s an early gem out of this year’s Sundance and one that will probably make some noise as the fest goes on.
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