Must Watch Amazing Hairdressing Movies of All Time

by Emma Wilson

Nothing can keep you in high spirits when you wait for a haircut at a salon. Anxiety may get on your nerves thinking of the celeb hairstyle you wish you could try on yourself. Whether you are a hairstylist or a hairstyle lover, several Hollywood movies can tickle your bone with hair-inspired comedies and documentaries. They are relaxing and entertaining and help you unwind after a hard day at work.

Hairdressing movies are hilarious and are modern-day stress-busters. Some cult classics remain popular and heart-warming across the family tree and make you love your tresses. Here are some iconic hairdressing films to watch in your low moments or festive season. They will surely brighten up your hour and give you plenty of hair inspiration at the start of 2022.

Shampoo

Shampoo is a 1975 American comedy-drama film starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, and debutante Carrie Fisher. The film tracks George Roundy (played by Warren Beatty), a lustful Beverly Hills hairdresser, and his relationships with several women. 

The film theme is not presidential politics but sexual politics and blatantly shows the late-1960s sexual and social norms observed within a particular society. It’s a bittersweet story full of passion, beautiful women, hair bangs from the 1960s. Watch this film to pick up hair fashion tips such as Satin Bonnet for Curly Hair for your everyday hair needs and haircare.  

Hairspray

This comedy-drama film was first made in 1988, followed by a remake in 2007. It shows a dance-loving overweight teenager Tracy Turnblad and her stardom days. She auditions for a spot on “The Corny Collins Show” and wins to become an overnight celebrity and a trendsetter in dance and fashion.

Tracy’s new status as a teenage sensation ousts Corny’s ruling dance queen slot. Her journey gets disrupted when she becomes a victim of racial discrimination and vows to fight back. The film has 1960s-style dance, music, rhythm, and blues. It’s a must-watch musical satire about big hair for your weekend entertainment.  

Edward Scissorhands

Hairstylists may sometimes get so overworked that they may feel a pair of scissors glued to their hands. The film Edward Scissorhands takes the idea literally. This fantasy-romance film shows a young Johnny Depp as an artificial man who has scissor blades instead of needles and becomes the most sought-after hairstylist in his local commune.

Although the film title may sound ridiculous, this Tim Burton-directed film nominated for an Oscar has an authentic feel. This delightful comic tale is awe-inspiring and richly entertaining. The story has tons of simplicity and is one of Johnny Depp’s career-making performances. Get ready to cry to your heart’s content at the end.  

Blow Dry

This British comedy film focuses on a small English town takeover by the British Hairdressing Championship, which is holding its annual competition in Yorkshire. An estranged family of hairdressers reunites thanks to the big hairstylist competition. Some portions of the film will scratch your funny bone, particularly when a local barber enters the match with his son to face down his former salon partner and the nation’s star hairdresser. 

Some of the film’s good laughs include one of the male cast’s styling hairs for the local funeral and coloring technique on a few corpses. You will find witticism at its best in ‘Blow Dry’, a film you must watch before or after your hair salon appointment.   

Good Hair

Good Hair produced, starred, and narrated by Chris Rock, explores how women of color perceive their natural hair and the images that are seen as acceptable and desirable in the African American culture. Chris Rock’s three-year-old daughter Lola inspired him to make the movie when she asked him, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?”

The film is serious but has shades of humor and wit on the subject. You will emotionally connect with the plot as Chris Rock delves into African-American hairstyles as he visits beauty salons to know the way hairstyles impact the activities and self-esteem of the black community.

Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C. J. Walker

This is an inspiring streaming television story of African American entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker played on-screen by Octavia Spencer. Madam Walker built a haircare empire that made her America’s first female self-made millionaire. The episodes show how Madam Walker overcame the hostilities, rivalries, and turbulent marriage to become America’s first Black self-made female mogul.      

The American drama based on the biography On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles got impressive reviews. The actress won several awards for the role and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.  

Hair Show

This urban comedy is about two estranged sisters-cum-hair dressers who reunite in Los Angeles. Mo’Nique stars as the lively Baltimore stylist Peaches who travels west on being asked by the IRS to pay up $50,000 in back taxes. The sisters enter an annual hair show, hoping to win and pay off Peaches’ debt.     

It is a funny ensemble comedy set in a busy, upscale hair salon. Crisply directed, the movie keeps you laughing till the end.

The Bottom Line

There are more such emotional dramas and charming comedies revolving around hairdressing. Watch it alone or with friends and family during the lockdown to have a big laugh during the temporary closure.

Read some free educational resources here.