Medusa Deluxe, written and directed by Thomas Hardiman, is a whodunnit set in the backstabbing world of competitive hairdressing shows. Completed in one shot that meanders through a claustrophobic set like a deranged Cluedo board we are sent on a hunt to decipher which of the coiffed caricatures is the killer. It’s definitely a shaggy bob story (ahem) and in parts, it could do with a light trim, but it does have a certain bounce to its bouffant.
We meet the cast shortly after the discovery of Mosca’s body (John Alan Roberts) backstage prior to the show. He has been scalped in the most deranged fashion. The competitors and models are clumped in little side rooms waiting to be interviewed by the police. Waves of fear, gossip and grief ripple from room to room as the camera selectively follows each character. The cast are mainly London comic caricatures, such as Divine (Kayla Meikle) the Jesus-obsessed evangelist and Cleve (Clare Perkins), the angry woman who sees GBH as a career tool. Then there is the international flavour from Angel (Luke Pasqualino) the pearl-clutching husband of the deceased whose wrists could have had their own script.
The whodunit element is mainly a device to explore character. Rather than follow clues the camera follows people, observing their flaws and obsessions. Each of them gets to have their own revealing monologue that sets out their role in the spider web of petty jealousies and long-held grudges. Sprinkled through are hilarious glimpses into the world of competitive hair and the complex technical language that gives it a veneer of professionalism wrapped in the ridiculous.
The single shot is used to full effect and is successful in creating a sense of blinkered intimacy. It’s impossible to step back and glimpse the whole story, the audience is bound to the camera’s path until the final revelations. This can make the pace a little slow but is compensated for by the percussive score that slides in and out of each scene, threatening as a rattlesnake that might strike at any moment.
If you are a fan of Knives Out, think of Medusa Deluxe as its flamboyant second cousin, Scissors Out. It has its own colourful characters, a definite style and enough giggles to carry you through to its gory conclusion.
PS Andrew Hebden reviewed the movie at its London premiere at BFI London Film Festival: for details of future screenings ask A24 (in the US and MUBI (in the UK)
Review by ANDREW HEBDENQueerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day.
Labels: 2022, Andrew Hebden, BFI, hairdressing, Medusa Deluxe, review, Thomas Hardman, whodunit
