11/24/2025
The Stylist (2020)
The Stylist (2020) is a haunting psychological horror that blends slasher tropes with a deeply unsettling character study—offering a chilling glimpse into obsession, identity, and loneliness.
Claire (Najarra Townsend), a solitary hairdresser in Kansas City, leads a double life. By day, she styles her clients with quiet precision; by night, she murders and scalps them, preserving their hair as trophies in a macabre shrine beneath her home. Her twisted ritual is a desperate attempt to escape her own identity and live vicariously through others.
When Olivia (Brea Grant), a confident bride-to-be, asks Claire to style her hair for her wedding, Claire sees a chance to connect—and maybe change. But her fixation deepens into dangerous territory, culminating in a shocking act of violence and impersonation that turns the wedding into a grotesque masquerade.
Directed by Jill Gevargizian and based on her acclaimed short film, The Stylist is a slow-burn descent into madness, anchored by Townsend’s nuanced and tragic performance. With lush cinematography, eerie sound design, and a finale that’s both horrifying and heartbreaking, the film explores the fragile boundaries between self and other, beauty and horror.
A standout in the indie horror scene, The Stylist is a stylish, female-led slasher that trades gore for emotional depth—making it a must-watch for fans of May (2002) and Maniac (1980).