THE STYLIST (2020)

 

Directed By: Jill Gevargizian Written By: Jill Gevargizian, Eric Stolze & Eric Havens Cinematography: Robert Patrick Stern  Editor: John Pata

Cast: Najarra Townsend, Brea Grant, Jennifer Seward, Sarah McGuire, Davis Derock

A lonely hair stylist becomes obsessed with the lives of her clients and descends into murderous madness.

When first encountering this film with its premise one would think the movie would go for the more campy or over-the-top ridiculous route considering its storyline. Shockingly it doesn’t.

It doesn’t even go for a female version of MANIAC. What it does manage to do is set a specific creeping tone that is delicate and feels like a tragedy as it goes through the motions.

While it is bloody the violence doesn’t feel gratuitous. Which makes it a little more shocking when it does. Especially the initial scalping.

It also makes the deaths in the film feel a little more personal and tragic. Even when not really getting to know the characters being killed. So it makes the film feel all the more realistic. 

It also paints the character with a fair amount of sympathy. As the film keeps her past a little more mysterious. You can tell there is mental pain and an Illness going on. This leads actress Najaraa Townsend to express and communicate with very little dialogue and plenty of body language. 

Brea grant also makes an impression as her client and the person she reaches out to most of all which gives the film also a kind of homoerotic feel in scenes between them. Even when trying to bond.

The film mostly comes off as a dark character study and ends up being deeper than expected and admirable for it.

As it portrays a fragile character study, where the violence feels all the more tragic as it is tied to emotions. As this is not a film that revels in violence and gore as a kind of crowd pleaser.

Grade: B