I really loved the vibe of “Bad Haircut,” a small, unassuming indie project that takes a deceptively simple premise and turns it into a tightly wound, darkly comic psychological thriller. Writer / director Kyle Misak starts with a basic setup about a routine trip to the barbershop and runs with it all the best (and weirdest) directions.
The story follows Billy (Spencer Harrison Levin), a college student looking for a new look and hopefully, a fresh start. His friends recommend a local spot with an old-school, unnervingly charismatic barber named Mick (Frankie Ray), who is known for giving “perfect cuts.” From the moment Mick shows up with his scissors in hand and smile just a little too wide, you know something’s off. It doesn’t take long for Billy to realize that Mick’s talents come with a heavy price.
What unfolds is a tightly contained, increasingly surreal ordeal that blurs the line between dark comedy and psychological horror. Misak nails the tone perfectly with a dark, dry sense of humor threading through the movie (it’s as if the Coen Brothers and Sam Raimi had a cinematic baby). This is the type of film that’s unsettling, but also in a “laugh because you’re uncomfortable” way. And while the stakes get real and the danger escalates, the story never loses that offbeat energy.
As with most indie projects, the film does a lot with a little. Most of the story takes place in and around the barber shop, with the tight setting working in its favor by adding to the claustrophobia. The basement scenes are especially creepy, and the sound design (buzzing clippers, creaky chairs, muttered monologues) builds a sense of dread that really works. The pacing is focused and brisk enough to keep things moving.
Ray is definitely the highlight here. His take on Mick is equal parts unhinged and oddly likable, like someone you’d laugh with at a party until they said one thing that made you realize you were in danger. He carries the film with an unpredictable energy that keeps you on edge the whole time.
Filled with off-kilter menace, “Bad Haircut” isn’t a movie that’s trying to blow your mind. It’s just a small scale thriller with a tightly crafted horror tale that’s filled with tension, personality, and a unique voice.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 