Justin Simien’s Bad Hair is a deliciously campy, sharply political, incredibly fun horror satire. Simien is a filmmaker who wears his politics on his sleeve, and there’s something refreshing about how upfront the film is in its exploration of the ways white society forces Black women to conform to white beauty standards. The film is a pointed reflection on what it means to compromise in order to achieve success – especially in a culture that doesn’t believe you can succeed because your race and gender. The film’s texture and use of color and lighting helps set the ’80s horror aesthetic perfectly, and the jagged editing techniques – especially as the weave is being sewn in – work to amplify the terror and discomfort. The final act descends into a bit of a chaotic mess with plot holes that are never resolved in a fully satisfying manner, and the computer generated effects never have the weight and solidity you need to make the horror truly crawl under your skin. Still, it’s an enjoyable first foray into horror from Simien, and a great followup to his Dear White People film and TV series.