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‘The Stylist’ Limited Edition Blu-Ray Review – Next Time You’ll Think Twice About Who Is Cutting Your Hair

By Dillon Gonzales
August 19, 2021
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Everyone has that moment in their lives where they look at another person and assure themselves that they would be happy if they could just be living that person’s life. Do we really know everything that is going on in that person’s life? Of course not, but the outward appearance of happiness can really feel like a searing pain in those moments when you are feeling at your lowest. Typically this is a minor moment that can be brushed away by most. Unfortunately, it is not so easy for some people, especially those who suffer from anxiety and self-loathing. For Claire (Najarra Townsend), the meek hairstylist at the center of Jill Gevargizian’s cutting feature directorial debut The Stylist, these issues go to a much more sinister extreme. Gevargizian, a hair stylist in her non-film life, is well aware of the intimacy one shares with their hairdresser and deftly exploits that in a way that has not been done before. You are not only physically vulnerable as they hold blades right by your face and neck, but emotionally vulnerable as they shape the image you will project to the world for the next several weeks. What could be more frightening than an unstable hairdresser?

We first see the seemingly-sweet Claire as she cuts the hair of a late-evening client from out of town. This client is happy to unload all of her life details and secrets (infidelity!) to Claire as she forces a polite smile. Claire is at her most expressive as she tries to interject with why she loves her job; “You get to go in and out of people’s lives, you hear stories, give life advice. It’s almost like having a family.” The line is enlightening and a bit heartbreaking, especially as details about Claire’s life are sprinkled sparingly throughout the feature. It is clear that Claire is not comfortable in her own skin, and it is not long before this client is knocked unconscious through pharmaceutical means and Claire tries her life on for size. Literally. The homicidal Claire scalps her victim and takes the mane to her home basement where it becomes clear that this is far from the first time she has done this. As she dons the fresh scalp and tries to take on this more fulfilling persona, you can see that any hopes of a “new” self is a fleeting thought that gives way to her natural, sorrowful state.

Her next great hope comes in the form of frequent client Olivia (Brea Grant), who manipulates Claire into being the stylist for her wedding. The power dynamic that the confident, self-assured Olivia wields over the fragile, socially awkward Claire is subtle but extremely important. The presence of female filmmakers in horror is entirely too infrequent, and you can look at this film to see some of the benefits of having that point of view behind the camera. Gevargizian understands the complexity behind female jealousy and insecurity and explores that with great tact throughout her script. Of course, this is also brought to life quite wonderfully by both Grant and Townsend, the latter of whom walks a fine line throughout the entire film of functionally awkward and on the verge of emotional collapse. As these two grow closer, you believe in what their friendship could be if Claire was not constantly fighting an internal losing battle of how best to fill that emotional void – to not collect more scalps because it never helps more than it hurts.

As much as we are able to read into many of these emotionally raw character points, there is that desire to get a little more backstory on Claire that we only get in drips and drops, and never in a way that is completely satisfying. Townsend supplements this quite capably with her lived-in performance, but a little more personal connection could have done wonders to help the audience connect a bit better. Horror fans should go in with the expectations that this is not front-to-back nightmare fuel, but the psychological dread is enough to sustain the non-bloody parts – plus the bloody parts are executed in a deliciously nasty manner when they do pop up. The thematically fitting and eye-widening conclusion is executed perfectly in this respect. The only substantial complaint to lodge with the film is that it feels slightly bloated at points which impacts the pacing. It is easy to get wrapped up in this world so it is understandable that scenes would become difficult to cut, but at ninety minutes this film would have felt pleasingly streamlined. Overall, this is a really fun and unique feature debut from Jill Gevargizian, and I cannot wait for her to bring her unique sensibility to her next feature.

Video Quality

The Stylist debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in 2.39:1 from a high definition master that captures the aesthetic very well. With this being an independent affair, it is quite impressive how sleek the film is with very nuanced textures and fine detail throughout. The project has a very bold color palette that is a feast for the eyes. Just look at any of the colorful outfits within this one and watch as they radiate off the screen. There is the slight bit of banding in certain shots, but it is not pervasive throughout. For a story that often relies on darkness to build tension, it is important to have deep black levels, which this thankfully does. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. The visual effects are really well executed considering the limited budget they had to pull it off. The bright whites of the daytime sequences never get close to blooming as they provide a nice stability throughout. Overall, this is a really solid disc that showcases the work well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that handles everything that is thrown at it with ease. The film is primarily dialogue driven, but there are some creepy atmospheric effects and an immersive score from Nicholas Elert that will give your speakers something substantial to work with. There is some nice ambient activity in the rear channels, especially during scenes taking place outdoors. The dialogue primarily stays in front center channels and is reproduced clearly. The track does a good job of making sure neither sound effects nor the music ever overpowers any dialogue. There are sporadic jolts of action, such as a particularly violent attack, that inject some heft to the low end that is appreciated in a film such as this one. This track has a substantial dynamic range that should please fans.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of The Stylist includes a booklet featuring the essay “The Stylist: A Curious Case of Mistaken Identity” by film writer Emma Westwood. This essay provides a great analysis of the story and insight into the themes of the film. The booklet also includes a short note from Director Jill Gevargizian which introduces a series of visual comparisons between the location scouting and final film. There is also a double-sided folded mini-poster reflecting the film’s cover art and reversible artwork included. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Co-Writer/Producer/Director Jill Gevargizian and Actress/Producer Najarra Townsend provide an interesting commentary track over their first viewing of the film with one another. There are many fascinating discussions about the journey of developing this from the short film, finding the right performers who they could make wigs for, theories as to why there are not more movies set in hair salons, anecdotes about various crew members and production parties, the visual effects work and much more. Worth a listen if you are a fan of the film.

Introduction: A nearly minute-long optional introduction to the film in which Gevargizian reveals a bit of the excitement she has that her film is available for people to see and her collaboration with Arrow Video.

The Invisible Woman: A 20-minute video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas in which she delves into feminist indie horror in contrast to the male-dominated horror space, the specific interest in “work place” based horror, female serial killers, the traits behind these killers, the “female space” of the beauty salon and much more that is fascinating.

Behind The Scenes Featurettes: Eight featurettes totaling 66 minutes are provided here which tackles various topics including the journey of the short film to a feature, the complexity of Claire and the traits of Townsend, the character of Olivia and what Grant brought to the role, the importance of women in film, the on-set family and much more. The interviews with all of the various cast and crew members are deeply fascinating and very much worth checking out for fans of the film.

Location Scouting: A four-minute piece which compares the script location descriptions to the final form we get on screen.

Outtakes: A nearly seven-minute collection of ruined takes, potential fires, missed marks, forgotten lines and more. These are quite amusing.

Original Kickstarter Video: A two-and-a-half-minute video in which Gevargizian pitches her intention to make The Stylist into a feature film along with her inspirations.

Short Films

- The Stylist: The original fourteen-minute 2016 short film is provided which is incredibly entertaining and different enough from the actual film to be viewed on its own terms.

- Pity: A seven-minute short 2016 short film from The Stylist’s editor John Pata is provided here with an optional two-minute introduction from Pata in which he explains how this short was like the “ground zero” for the crew of The Stylist. This one is also quite fascinating.

Trailers: The Teaser Trailer (1:03) and Theatrical Trailer (1:46) is provided here.

Image Galleries: A collection of Production Still and Location Scouting images are provided.

Soundtrack CD: In this special Limited Edition set, there is a second disc included of the film’s soundtrack.

Final Thoughts

The Stylist is a thoughtful and beautifully grotesque horror film that explores themes not often broached by other filmmakers in the genre. The excellent lead performance from Najarra Townsend really keeps you glued to the screen throughout. The film is not without its issues, but it is a really strong debut feature from a very promising filmmaker. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stunning A/V presentation and a 5-star array of special features. If you are interested in a horror film with a unique point of view, give this one a shot. Recommended

The Stylist is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.