“Bad Hair “Review
“Bad Hair” had potential to be an excellent movie. The decision that such a sensitive topic shown should be portrayed in a horror/comedy style was absolutely wrong.
The 2020 Hulu film is based in the 1980s, when MTV and music television was at its highest. Also, the rise of black culture in society.
A woman works at an African American culture TV station. The show is image obsessed and always seeking white validation while still trying to stick to black roots.
Just like many other black women, this woman is just trying to function and fit into the toxic image.
What does she decide to do?
She decides to get a long, straight weave to cover up her coil-like, short hair. This character is ashamed of her looks and her co-workers (and society itself) are egging it on.
Many can agree that this movie can and will spark important conversations about black culture, how it was represented, and how it has evolved. People can get something out of this movie, but the genre that this movie was made in is extremely inappropriate.
A weave that somehow has a mind on its own tries to take over the woman who got it? That’s just wrong.
Some can see the symbolism in this, as weaves are diminishing black culture and therefore destroying the person. Something like this should be discussed in a documentary or a drama, not a horror.
Something else that should be mentioned is if you don’t like hair, scalps, or anything of that sort, this is not the movie for you. Some scenes were hard to watch.
The acting, cinematography and screenwriting were mediocre. As said above, this movie has a lot of potential, but it failed.
Horror movies are often extreme fiction.
The director and writer, Justin Simien, took a real situation and made it not seem real. It’s almost a dramatization of an actual problem. A topic such as this should not be dramatized.
The acting did not seem genuine, but the important scenes will bring viewers in. A sensitive and controversial topic should fulfill high expectations.
Some kudos can be given because there are not many movies about hair, African American hair specifically.
In conclusion, Justin Simien failed. He failed at bringing people together to talk about black culture and the detriments. This movie was a fail.
Rating: 2/5
Emily McGlynn is a freshman majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact her, email at esm5378@psu.edu.
