Everyone’s probably had a bar haircut, but no one has ever quite had one like this. Bad Haircut is written and directed by indie filmmaker Kye Misak. The synopsis reads:
Billy Crumpus, a college student who has never believed in himself or had the confidence to make a move, finally reaches his wit’s end after an interaction with some girls at a party goes horribly wrong. Discouraged by his goofy look and lack of charisma, Billy’s best friends, Sonny and Dee, go on mission to help Billy find his confidence by taking him to their favorite barber: an eccentric, bizarre man named Mick. What Billy thinks will be a quick haircut turns into the adventure of a lifetime when Mick becomes dangerously unhinged and pushes Billy to new heights in a series of thrilling twists and comedic turns. But through the chaos and what is undoubtedly the worst day of his life, Billy finds what he had been looking for all along.
Kyle Misak
A boy and his barber
The film stars Spencer Harrison Levin as Billy and Frankie Ray (Maximum Overdrive, Blade, Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies, End of Days) as Mick, the psychopathic barber. Levin fits the role of the down on his nerdy guy quite well. The performance is apt and believable, and the actor pulls off the comedic timing with ease. In the more serious moments, he can channel severity as well, and it all fits into the character without coming across as disingenuous.
With that said, the real standout in Misak’s thriller-comedy film is Ray as Mick. Both Ray and Mick are familiar faces, being very Mick Jagger/Stephen Tyler/Jack Sparrow coded. However, Ray can take this archetype and make it his own. He’s able to tap into that magnetic quality that draws you in and makes you watch.
Familiar but Fun
Bad Haircut‘s overall plot is familiar, but the film manages to sprinkle in new ideas to keep it fresh and fun. The haircut setup is quite ingenious. Haircuts are naturally intimate settings and ones that require a great deal of trust, so that serves as a solid starting point. While Mick may be a character in the vein of many real-life and fictional persons, he gives the film a good boost of personality that it may otherwise be lacking.
His lair is dingy but also quite cartoony. In fact, everything about it feels ripped straight out of a cartoon, with its toxic vat, comically placed cage, and minor furnishings. It’s a simple but effective setting. And as the film slowly expands further into the world, it keeps that feeling of familiarity but with a different enough coat of paint that it doesn’t feel derivative.
Additional Thoughts on Bad Haircut
If there’s anything to knock against Bad Haircut, it’s that the film looks quite boring. Not to be overly dismissive, but it does have that prestige television sheen to it. This isn’t the worst thing in the world, but for a film that has a strong identity, it’s a shame that it looks so much like everything else out there. Everything is a bit too clean. There needs to be a bit of grunge to it to make it feel a little more lived in to fit in with the tone that it’s going for.
The other major issue is the pacing. The film is just a hair too long. If it were a tight ninety minutes, then it would be absolutely a blast. However, as it currently stands, the film takes too long to wrap up. The intention behind this longer epilogue is understood, as it neatly bookends the start of the film. However, it could have been communicated quickly and more cleanly.
The Verdict on Bad Haircut
Bad Haircut is a fun take on a familiar setup, offering a good amount of laughs and thrills as it progresses. It is worth a watch for horror comedy fans and for anyone looking for something a little less mainstream.
Score: 3/5
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