Sign Up for a Bad Haircut (FANTASTIC) and Get a Great Teen Horror Rom Com Instead
Title: Bad Haircut
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Kyle Misak
Writer: Kyle Misak
Runtime: 110 Minutes
Starring: Spencer Harrison Levin, Frankie Ray, Nora Freetly
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2025.
Billy (Spencer Harrison Levin) is a loser, something he is desperate to change. Convinced by his friends that it comes down to his confidence rather than his personality or looks, he decides to take a trip to the local barber to get a new haircut. They claim their barber, Mick (Frankie Ray), is a genius and is incredibly affordable, which allays his fears from his obvious eccentric tendencies. When his friends leave to get him new clothes before the mall closes, Billy finds himself alone with Mick and accidentally thrust into a terrifying game where he bears witness to his truly unhinged nature.
A delightfully funny horror romance, Bad Haircut proves a good script and cast can take a high concept story far.
Taking cues from teen romance movies before it, Bad Haircut flips the conventions by putting its protagonist in solid horror territory. Billy’s confidence building journey is the main attraction long before the killer barber enters the picture. Awkward teen parties, naive expectations on navigating social hierarchies, and friends who just don’t quite understand his frustrations, Billy’s problems quickly feel minor once he meets Mick. Operating initially as a fairy godmother, Mick’s shape-shifting persona vacillates between wanting to help Billy and wanting to scold him for his transgressions. Working largely because of its characters, the hijinks of Bad Haircut are breezy enough to prioritize the romance elements without trading the scares out completely.
The dynamic between Sam and Billy works largely thanks to the two’s chemistry, which slowly builds throughout the picture as the two learn to fight together. Despite meeting each other during the craziest moments of either of their lives, the duo establish chemistry pretty quickly. Fans of the “black cat, golden retriever” dynamic will have plenty to enjoy once the couple is introduced, delighting in how intentional it’s included in the narrative. Once awakened to the true nature of Mick’s schemes, Billy quickly shifts into the hero role, while Sam demonstrates quick thinking by building on Billy’s escape plans without question. The two become a team, boosting Billy’s confidence, purpose, and potential to escape the shop mostly unscathed. Not focusing too much on the romance element, Bad Haircut gives the young would-be couple time to breathe and process their situation while still leaving enough breadcrumbs to make the couple work by its finale.
Bad Haircut is nothing without its iconic lead performance from Frankie Ray, injecting much needed energy and flair into the film. Larger than life, probably thanks to his fixation on recreating his favorite movie moments, Mick is an enigmatic character as puzzling as he is compelling. Mick is the villain and there are no questions about that. What Bad Haircut does ponder, however, is what makes a person resort to the life of a killer. Making sense of his passing fancies and baffling decision-making skills, Mick defies traditional character shaping afforded to horror baddies.
Answers of loneliness, oddity, and social norms get lost at the heart of Mick’s desire: companionship. A more earnest take on the motivation, Mick’s unyielding desire to be loved like a movie character takes him, and his victims, on a journey to discover what it means to be authentic to who you are and to be loved for that. Typical for the coming-of-age sub-genre, the implementation here feels right given the amount of ardor present for the story. With a character and performance not quite repeatable, Bad Haircut sticks the landing between humor and heart.
Its tendency to not take bigger swings is the only thing holding Bad Haircut back from further elevation. Muted in its approach to horror, writer/director Kyle Misak plays more with teen movie conventions to tell his story of abducted teens and villainous barbers. The overall stakes are high, but Billy and Sam tend to wiggle out of trouble a bit too easily. Protected by the need for story progression and for Mick to get his big moment in the end, Bad Haircut loses points only for how convenient its journey becomes over time.
Overall, Bad Haircut is a great time, filled with solid jokes, cool characters, and strong command of pacing. Grandiose performances, breezy comedy, and a truly cinematic approach to its material make the obviously heart-heavy production irresistible. Its brand of humor and reliable hugging of teen rom com tropes may be tiresome for some but is otherwise a signal that this syrupy sweet horror comedy has a different style to it. Once you meet Mick, you’ll never want to see another barber again.
Overall Score? 7/10
