The Stylist: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2020
Director: Jill Gevargizian
Writers: Jill Gevargizian, Eric Havens, Eric Stolze
Cast: Najarra Townsend, Brea Grant, Davis DeRock, Sarah McGuire, Jennifer Seward, Millie Milan, Kimberly Igla, Laura Kirk

Release Date: June 7th, 2021 (UK), June 8th, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 104 Minutes 24 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"We all dream of being someone else… but for Claire (Najarra Townsend, Contracted), that dream goes from an obsession to a living nightmare. Hairstylist by day, serial killer and collector of scalps by night, Claire’s lonely existence is thrown into turmoil when her regular client, Olivia (Brea Grant, After Midnight, Lucky), asks her to style her hair for her wedding day. Increasingly fixated on Olivia’s seemingly flawless life, Claire vows to lock up her scalp collection and change her ways for good – only to discover that repressing your deadly desires is easier said than done…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The High Definition master was provided by XYZ Films”.

The Stylist comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.5 GB

Feature: 26.9 GB

Shot on digital, the source used for this transfer looks great. Image clarity, colors and black levels look solid throughout.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The Stylist is a dialog driven film, dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, the soundtrack sounds appropriately robust and ambient sounds are well-represented. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a double-sided fold-out poster, two image galleries (production stills and location scouting), teaser trailer for The Stylist (1 minute 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), trailer for The Stylist (1 minute 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), two short films: The Stylist (14 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and Pity with optional introduction by director John Pata (9 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), original kickstarter video for The Stylist (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), outtakes (6 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), location scouting (4 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), behind-the-scenes featurettes: Short to Feature (22 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), “WTF Claire?” (10 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), “Olivia” (4 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Women in Film (3 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Film Family (6 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Designing The Stylist (10 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Filming in KC (5 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and Kansas City Chiefs! (3 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, exploring the themes of women’s labor and female killers in The Stylist and horror cinema titled The Invisible Woman (20 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with co-writer/producer/director Jill Gevargizian and actress/producer Najarra Townsend, an introduction by Jill Gevargizian (45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a limited-edition slipcover, a limited-edition CD containing the original The Stylist Soundtrack and a limited first pressing twenty-eight-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Stylist: A Case of Mistaken Identity written by Emma Westwood, Location Scouting/Final Film Comparisons and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Though horror films are the most resilient genre that first-time filmmaker's are drawn to. Ultimately there are too many by the numbers horror films that bring nothing new to the table. That said, the most memorable horror films are the ones that keep you guessing.

Based solely on premise The Stylist is a film that sets expectations high. And though the opening moments do a great job laying the foundation for the events leading up to The Stylist’s gruesome ending. The bulk of the narrative is best described as a melodrama with a few gory set pieces.

From a production standpoint, there are not many areas where The Stylist does not succeed. The premise is well-executed and the two leads Najarra Townsend and Brea Grant deliver solid performances. With the visuals being The Stylist’s greatest asset.

The Stylist gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer