Worth: $16.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Clare Perkins Anita-Joy Uwajeh Kayla Meikle Kae Alexander Harriet Webb Darrell D'Silva Luke Pasqualino
Intro:
The plot does swallow its own tail at some points, losing the pace of the whodunnit in favour of stylistic flair, but in a film that is at heart about competitive hairdressing, what’s a little murder when there’s pastel fontange coiffures on the line.
Blood, tears, and secrets are all spilled backstage when a small-time competitive hairdressing contest becomes the backdrop for murder. Locked down together as the police investigate the death of their fellow stylist, Mosca, suspicions run rife and tempestuous personalities collide in the attempt to uncover whether Mosca’s death was the result of competitive rivalry or something more sinister.
A comedic drama with just enough dark barbs to lighten the intense atmosphere, this first feature for writer/director Thomas Hardiman is an ambitious debut. Meticulously shot by Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan (Fish Tank, The Favourite), the entire film unfolds in real time in the labyrinthine backstage halls, twisting and twining between fire escapes and dressing rooms — a reproduction of Medusa’s lair, only here the walls are lined with mirrors and those locked inside spend the hours avoiding meeting the eyes of their own reflections.
The script is brimming with dialogue suited to the stage; rambling monologues that stay on just the right side of entertaining. Even the end credits play out like a joyous rendition of a curtain call. The hair, of course, is the true showpiece. Each style a visual treat of colour and absurdity, lending a further sense of unreality to this fantastically heightened world of winding hallways and volatile personalities. It’s almost enough to make you forget this all started with the discovery of a dead body.
There actually is a tight little mystery playing out amidst the interpersonal drama. The plot does swallow its own tail at some points, losing the pace of the whodunnit in favour of stylistic flair, but in a film that is at heart about competitive hairdressing, what’s a little murder when there’s pastel fontange coiffures on the line.
