The Stylist (2020)
March 1, 2021 8:19 PM - Subscribe

Claire seems to live a normal life as a hair stylist by day, lending a sympathetic ear to the women who visit her chair and encouraging them to unburden themselves as she works her magic. But for an unlucky few, Claire's interest grows more sinister, and she begins coveting their lives.

Her client Olivia has everything Claire wants: a devoted fiance, robust friend group, successful career, and confident demeanor. When Olivia makes the well-intentioned mistake of asking Claire to style her hair for her wedding, Claire becomes obsessed, and her unassuming, meek demeanor slowly gives way to her inner demons.
posted by miss-lapin (7 comments total)
 
In a lot of ways it reminded me of the recent Saint Maud, only cooler and pulpier. I appreciated that we never really "get" Claire; there's a suggestion that she was damaged by the loss of her parents (though she may just as easily have killed them), a suggestion that she either lost a marriage or simply wants one desperately (the early scene where she covets a stranger's engagement ring), but there's no "aha!" moment that makes her pathology make sense. I liked it a lot.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:43 PM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]


I am googling for this film and getting several different results. Can you share a link? Is this a short or full-length film?
posted by rogerroger at 7:55 AM on March 2, 2021


It's streaming on Arrow Video. There is a
short film from a few years ago that I think is on YouTube. This is a much expanded version of that film (which is more or less the first scene of the feature).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:26 AM on March 2, 2021 [2 favorites]


Rogerroger-the short is from 2016. This is the full length feature which is available on arrow streaming. They also have some behind the scenes/making of stuff about the film. The director actually has a brief cameo in the film!
posted by miss-lapin at 1:59 PM on March 2, 2021 [2 favorites]


The full length feature is the Stylist (2020)
posted by miss-lapin at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2021 [2 favorites]


If you watch on Arrow they have a "visual essay" on the Stylist, which is really insightful. It definitely deepened my understanding of the film on multiple levels including how the director/writer claimed Texas Chainsaw Massacre as an influence.
posted by miss-lapin at 4:03 PM on March 2, 2021 [2 favorites]


It's now also streaming on Shudder.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:24 AM on May 17, 2022


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