Bad Haircut delivers cinematic satisfaction, but it’s not perfect. Parts of it are unpolished. The college shenanigans are overcooked with tired bully/nerd tropes. Some of the jokes are crass and sillier than the tone calls for. Mind you, these are nitpicks, minor flaws in an otherwise surprisingly perfect fabric. The film punches over it’s weight in a mighty way, and succeeds more than anyone could reasonably expect.
Where the film is elevated to art is in the performances of Levin and Frankie Ray, mostly the latter. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Frankie Ray delivers a tour de force of sinister fun as Mick. His precise physicality is surgical. His performance is masterful with luminous stage presence. He gives us something between Sweeney Todd’s demon barber and Rocky Horror‘s Frank-N-Furter, seemingly spinning effortlessly from one emotional extreme to another.
“…Frankie Ray delivers a tour de force of sinister fun as Mick….”
Mick reels us in. He’s a psychopath, rationalizing dark deeds with absurd narcissistic imperatives, but he’s also piteous and convincing when he says he just wants to be loved. He’s darkly charismatic, and someone you want to hang around, despite the obvious risks. He convinces Billy that they must trust one another, and at one point allows Billy to shave him with a straight razor. The moment is tense, but Billy can no more kill him than Frodo could kill Gollum.
Bad Haircut is a low-budget endeavor that, by all rights, should be simply a mildly amusing romp, but it has greatness thrust upon it as Misak’s writing and direction provide a framework for Levin and Ray to create searing, unforgettable characters. Do not miss this film.
Bad Haircut screened at the 2025 Fantastic Fest.
"…has greatness thrust upon..."
