Bad Haircut Review [Fantastic Fest 2025]

Bad Haircut is over-the-top and ridiculous, but also a whole lot of fun due to the incredible and unforgettable lead performances.

When reading the synopsis for Bad Haircut I knew that it was either going to be a really fun movie or a terrible one. A psychopathic barber holding a kid hostage has to be done just right, or the film as a whole simply will not work. Thankfully, due to great writing and two incredible lead performances, Bad Haircut is one of the funnest movies that I have watched in a while.

Frankie Ray portrays Mick, a barber who might have a screw loose, but can also be a big softy when he wants to be. Yes, he is eccentric and over-the-top, but it doesn’t take long for viewers to fall in love with him, even if they know something is wrong with him. I hate to compare performances, but I was instantly reminded of Tim Curry’s Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Frankie is completely unafraid to go there with his performance of Mick. He gives it his all, without a care in the world, which is what makes this character one of the most memorable ones I have ever seen.

Frankie Ray’s chemistry with Spencer Harrison Levin, who plays Billy, is one for the record books. Billy goes into Mick’s barbershop for a haircut and gets much more than he expected.

The two actors work extremely well off one another. While things are certainly awkward from the start, by the second act, I was having the best time watching the two of them together. They really impressed me. So much so that I somehow found myself rooting for both of them – which honestly was never going to work out.

Bad Haircut does feel a little bit long, and really doesn’t need the end bumper on it, as much as I enjoyed it. Without spoilers, there was a perfect note to end things on, so it did not need to flash forward in time.

A ridiculous movie like this can go either way. With an over-the-top “villain”, their dialogue and actions could lean too cheesy to land. Thankfully, largely in part due to the direction and Ray’s performance, everything about Mick works. The jokes land, and the uncomfortable moments make you want to crawl under a table, all while somehow not being able to pull your eyes away.

Bad Haircut has the makings of a cult classic. Fantastic Fest was the perfect place to play this movie because the audience truly enjoys a bizarre genre movie. I think a lot of people are going to fall in love with Mick, which is really all he ever wanted.

About Bad Haircut

Billy wants to change his look and decides to get the best haircut he’s ever had. His friends take him to the local barber shop run by Mick, a barber with a disturbing edge but an undeniable talent for crafting the perfect style using just a simple pair of scissors. When Billy’s turn in the chair arrives, he suddenly finds himself alone with the unhinged Mick. As the clippers buzz and the small talk dies down, it becomes clear this barbershop is more of a trap than a beauty parlor.

Tension mounts as Billy realizes Mick’s eccentricities hide a deeply troubled mind. Before he knows it, he finds himself trapped in Mick’s delusions, taken hostage in the shop’s basement while the barber rages like a madman. To survive, Billy must navigate this bizarre and terrifying ordeal and fight in order to make it out alive.

Bad Haircut played at Fantastic Fest 2025.

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