The Stylist

A very nicely made little slasher about a psychopathic hair stylist who scalps her clients. It’s very colourful and with good performances, I think the leading actress really hit that spot where she plays a completely insane maniac who can mostly hide that from her surroundings. She looks a little awkward and absent-minded, but you’d never suspect that she has a cabinet of curiosities in her cellar. That said, the film has several problems, what bothered me the most perhaps was how the script doesn’t pay attention to some details (e.g. how does the stylist get rid of the bodies?). And it’s also true that the creators could have loosened up a bit and let the protagonist show more than what she delivered, at least in the end. But it’s more than enough for an average rating, and I believe Jill Gevargizian can do a better job next time. (04.03.2021)

The Stylist wants to be carzy, but there’s no chance. I wouldn't call it a horror film, it's basically an arthouse drama about a hairdresser who is mentally disturbed and occasionally takes the scalps of her customers, but there's so little of it that it covers less than ten minutes of the running time. What happens for the remaining hour and a half you can guess. Najarra Townsend is not a good enough actress to be able to pull an entire film on her own, and I found the story ordinary and readable at the end, so much so that the supposedly shocking twist didn't work on me at all. It's not exactly cheaply made and I can't say I was dying of boredom, but I got tired of waiting for something that might come and in the end doesn’t. It's not thrilling, there is no atmosphere and the three scalps will shock mostly trained hairdressers. Someone will probably be moved by how beautifully slow and artistic it is and how there is hardly anything interesting going on, so enjoy. 4/10. (04.03.2021)

The biggest positive of this film was Najarra Townsend who was extremely convincing and perfect for the role of Claire. The premise was also a good choice, and it could have been a thrilling film.... if only it didn’t lack tension. I was confused. I spent most of the film expecting it to be a thrilling and nerve-racking experience. It took me quite long to realize that this wasn't actually a horror film but just a grittier drama. That would still have been fine, but I found myself slightly bored during the longer, dull scenes. What got me wondering right at the beginning was where the body had gone. The film did have potential, it was just wasted a little. / Lesson learned: You’d better not go to the hairdresser unescorted. (06.10.2022)