7. EXTE: Hair Extensions (2007)
A film about killer hair extensions may sound like a goofy premise but Sion Sono's film is a must for J-Horror fans and general horror film fans will lap it up too. There are two elements at work in the film. One is the story of a dead girl's corpse that keeps spouting luxuriant black hair from every orifice. Her body is stolen by a tricophilic who cuts her hair and sells it for use in hairdressers for hair extensions. The hair extensions, however, are possessed and either kill the wearer or drive them insane. Second is the story of trainee hair stylist Yuko who has an absolute bitch whore of a sister - Kiyomi - who abuses her little daughter - Mami and acts like a total vicious, heartless tart. Mami gets dumped on Yuko. Their bond grows closer. Kiyomi regularly steals from Yuko's flat and one time grabs the lethal hair extensions. Back at her own flat we are treated to the exceedingly pleasing scene of Kiyomi and her sleazeball boyfriend copping a horrible death by rampant hair. Yuko and Mami have to do their own hairy battle at the film's conclusion but this is less interesting than the previous action. At the end, it all comes good and Yuko asks Mami if she wants to move in with her. Mami is delighted. The child abuse element of the film is jarring as we watch a beautiful little girl get bossed about, verbally and physically abused, chastised, screamed at. The bitch of a mother has a vile, vicious tongue and can sweet talk Mami into thinking she cares about her and then she turns into the wicked witch in an instant. How anyone can abuse such a beautiful, obedient, clever little girl is beyond me. Seeing the mother get her comeuppance is gleefully brilliant and you want to jump for joy. It is also good to see how Yuko matures through the film through her initially unwanted enforced parenthood to fully accepting caregiver and guardian of Mami. She really grows up. As I said before, the concept of killer hair extensions may sound daft but the special effects are excellent and the menacing hair looks luxuriant and lifelike. This really is a special little film and it deserves to be exalted in the canon of J-Horror.