Medusa Deluxe

For anyone old enough to remember the early 2000s BBC drama Cutting It, you’ll know that the only thing more dangerous than the sharp end of a pair of salon scissors is the rivalry amongst the stylists. Writer-director Thomas Hardiman’s debut feature Medusa Deluxe tackles this notion head-on by exploring the fallout after the frontrunner in a hairdressing competition is quite literally scalped backstage.

Word of stylist Mosca’s untimely death arrives through fellow competitor Cleve (a scene-stealing Claire Perkins). The inconvenience of a building lockdown draws Cleve’s ire; her focus is more dedicated to the intricate Georgian Fontange atop her model’s head than whatever is missing from Mosca’s. Speculating on the murder with another competitor, Divine (Kayla Meikle), before launching into some impressively foul-mouthed storytelling, Cleve is contrasted with a gaggle of models holed up in another room, discussing who the killer could be with concern that the perpetrator could still be among them.

Across the film’s runtime, it’s inevitable that details of the victim’s past and shady dealings bubble to the surface. These developments introduce Mosca’s distraught husband, Angel (Luke Pasqualino), rival stylist Rene (Darrell D’Silva), former flame Patricio (Nicholas Karimi) and enigmatic security guard Gac (Heider Ali) – the clear outsider in this community of colourful characters.

In a world where show-stopping appearances win prizes, Hardiman fully embraces this ethos through Robbie Ryan’s captivating cinematography. As the gossip and suspicion spread like wildfire, the camera moves just as gingerly. Our vantage point appears as one shot, well edited by Faoud Gaber, that shifts perspective when one person crosses paths with another.

While Hardiman masters the visual elements of Medusa Deluxe, as we progress towards the conclusion, the storytelling elements begin to falter. The unveiling of events and key details is either too expected or not impactful enough. Perkins continues to be a high point, delivering a closing speech that perfectly encapsulates the allure, deep meaning and necessary ruthlessness of the hairdressing world. However, the other characters don’t feel as fully realised, despite the clear promise shown in our moments with them.

With Medusa Deluxe, Hardiman makes a directorial debut that successfully injects a fresh, vibrant perspective into the murder mystery genre while still employing the dark dread that stands as its trademark. However, in showing how much further the genre can be elevated visually, other vital elements of characterisation and plot don’t quite match them in reaching the impressive intricacy of Cleve’s beloved Fontange.

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