Mariama Diallo’s genre-bending horror/comedy ‘Hair Wolf’ triumphs in it’s quirky, absurdist take on issues of gentrification and cultural appropriation. Diallo has created a beautifully formed, hilarious and frightening comment on matters that are intrinsic in today’s society. In Hair Wolf, ‘white girl’ instagram culture takes on the form of a walking-dead-esque virus… white people being thirsty not for blood but for a taste of black culture, and they will infect anyone they come into contact with.
When zombie-like caricature of today’s American ‘white girl’ (played by Beach Rats’ Madeline Weinstein) invades a Crown Heights black hair salon and asks for ‘Braiiiids’, the salon owner Janice (Trae Harris) warily allows her in. Slowly, one by one, they begin to fall under a hypnotic spell, relying only on one another to snap them back to reality and remind each other what makes them who they are.
Weinstein plays the cliche of an ‘Instagram ho’ brilliantly, mindlessly saying incredibly offensive things without even realising it. Jermaine Crawford and Trae Harris also execute their comic delivery of his amusing lines. The real stars of the show, however, are Taliah Webster and Kara Young, who play two hairdressers, terrified of the ‘white girl’ taking away ‘everything we got except the skin off our backs.’
Everything blends together perfectly, from the bright coloured, shimmering costumes, to the wacky hairstyles and sci-fi makeup. With all these pieces fitted together, we are left with something reminiscent of a 70’s music video. This world feels just outside the realm of reality, just uncanny enough that the bizarre events seem hilariously plausible, without the film ever becoming ludicrous.
This film is funny, intelligent, thought provoking and feels incredibly significant. We saw these themes approached in Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’, which teetered on that same line between horror and comedy, but Hair Wolf provides us with a new perspective, focusing particularly on the Instagram generation. The visuals are dazzling and the acting is perfectly executed, keeping us amused whilst also delivering a poignant message. It really is too good to miss.
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