A slow Artmovie Psycho Drama and Indie Slasher, well acted and directed and with some gruesome scalpings and perhaps,
but probably not, inspired by Herschell Gordon Lewis 1967 sick obscurity "The Gruesome Twosome". William Lustig's 1980
"Maniac" may be a closer guess.

This film made some buzz in the indie horror film community (if there's a such?) and feature film debut director Jill Gevargizian
got some praise for her efforts and ....the film is very stylish looking and with fine acting. As slasher scalping films go, this
film do remind me about the 1980 "Maniac" where sweaty and nasty Joe Spinell played the slasher killer loner, here it's cute
and friendly Najarra Townsend playing the loner, but both of them enjoy their fetish scalpings to the fullest home alone in
their dens. Both of them are sickies but in "The Stylist", as the indie drama it also is, we get to know the motivation for her
scalping killings, something to do with her wanting to be her victims, to somehow absorb their happiness through their hair.

Claire (Najarra Townsend) lives alone in a house in some US town. She works as a popular hair stylist and she's a serial killer
that drugs her victims and then scalps them and home alone in her nasty cellar she lets her dummies wear them, and she
also tries them on herself. She may be sexually aroused or not (?) but she seems to be very happy and this way turning into
another woman, a popular woman with a happy life and not at all like the tragic loner her real self is.
So, when visiting a Hair Salon next time don't talk too much about your private life, your family etc. you never know if the one
doing your hair wants to turn into you and to scalp you.

Above: Reversible sleeve

When Olivia (Brea Grant), one of Claire's regular clients is about to marry she wants Claire to do her hair for the wedding
and they get along well with a lot of girl talk. Olivia even invites Claire to join her girl dinner. Everything seems copacetic
and Claire really tries to blend in with Olivia's friends, but Claire can't hide her awkwardness and they don't like this strange
girl. When Olivia asks her about family Claire gets upset and has to blow off some steam by murdering someone random.
She's nasty indeed and the ending was cool even if you saw it coming a mile away.

The Director don't mention being inspired by "Maniac" in the audio commentary (if i remember correctly) but both Joe
Spinell's Frank Zito in "Maniac" and Najarra Townsend in "The Stylist" tries to behave normal and to blend in (Frank by
dating beautiful fashion photographer Caroline Monroe and Claire by hanging out with Olivia and her friends) and both
of them enjoys their fetishes, the scalpings, fastened to the heads of fashion dummies at home in their creepy dens, so
there are similarities.

The film is presented in widescreen 2.39:1 with english audio DTS-HD MA 5.1 and with english subtitles, REGION A is
stated on sleeve but played region all. Extras:
Audio commentary by director, co-writer and producer Jill Gevargizian and actress co-producer Najarra Townsend,
The Invisible Woman - visual essay by author critic Alexandra Heller, Behind The Scenes 8 Featurettes, Location scouting
featurette, Outtakes, Original Kickstarter Video, Original 2016 "The Stylist" Short Film by Jill Gevargizian with Najarra
Townsend, "Pity" 2016 short film by John Pata, Theatrical and Teaser Trailer, Image Gallery