Justin Simien’s Bad Hair makes your worst bad hair day look good

Dear White People director and writer, Justin Simien, is back with a new film. Bad Hair premiered at Park City’s Ray Theater as part of the Sundance film festival, and Simien describes his film as a tribute to the struggles that black women face.

Cast includes newcomer Elle Lorraine, Kelly Rowland, and Lena Waithe. The plot centers around Anna Bludso, played by Lorraine, who is an executive assistant at a cable network in 1989, who hopes to get some on-air time. Anna succumbs to peer pressure and gets a weave that keeps her natural hair hidden, to better keep up with the hair and beauty trends of the late ’80s/early ’90s.

However, this is not just a movie about hair. It is a horror movie. About hair. Anna soon realizes that while her new weave has heads turning, it also has a mind of its own. If you liked Jordan Peele’s Get Out, then you will probably like Bad Hair. And while the film is funny, with some scares along the way, Simien addresses the seriousness of some sacrifices black women are often expected to make for their careers. This movie brings to light how black culture is often stripped down.