Watch Hair Extensions: EXTE

Hair Extensions, also known as "EXTE" in Japan, is a unique blend of horror, humor, and social commentary directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sion Sono. This 2007 Japanese film manages to weave a story that combines the grotesque with the absurd, while also presenting a layered critique of society's obsession with beauty and the exploitation lurking behind glossy exteriors.

The film stars Chiaki Kuriyama, best known for her roles in "Kill Bill: Volume 1" and "Battle Royale," alongside Megumi Sato. "EXTE" explores the dark side of the hair extension industry with a supernatural twist that is as unsettling as it is inventive.

At the heart of the film, we find Chiaki Kuriyama's character, Yuko, a young and ambitious hairdresser with a heart of gold. She works at a beauty salon and has a natural flair for styling, with dreams of making it big in the world of hairdressing. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters a peculiar brand of hair extensions that seem to possess a life of their own.

Kuriyama's character becomes entangled in a macabre mystery that revolves around the origin of these extensions. The narrative unfolds as we follow the path of the hair, which has dark origins that are far from the glitz and glamor of the beauty salon. Megumi Sato plays another key role in this narrative, adding to the complexity and intrigue of the storyline.

The horror in "EXTE" is not just confined to the applications of hair extensions but extends to the source from which they come. A chilling underpinning of the movie is the notion that beauty products may have sinister backstories, and in this case, the hair extensions have a morbid lifecycle that leads to terrifying consequences for those who come into contact with them.

Director Sion Sono's trademark style of fusing disparate elements to create a cohesive narrative is on full display in "EXTE." He masterfully balances scares with absurdity, creating a movie that is as thought-provoking as it is scary. Sono is no stranger to tackling social issues through his work, and in "EXTE," he takes on the beauty industry. He delves into questions about vanity, the length people will go for aesthetic perfection, and the unseen human cost of beauty products. For viewers accustomed to Western horror conventions, "EXTE" offers a refreshing divergence, challenging perceptions of what a horror film can be and do.

As the story progresses, the supernatural hair begins to affect the lives of the characters in bizarre and malevolent ways. Yuko becomes a sort of detective, piecing together the hair's origins and attempting to discover the reason behind its strange powers. The film operates on both a literal and metaphorical level, using hair as a metaphor for exploitation and the objectification of women's bodies, with each strand serving as a visceral reminder of the personal stories often lost in commercial industries.

The visual style of "EXTE" is as memorable as its premise. The film uses hair in ways that are simultaneously beautiful and grotesque, turning something so commonplace into an object of horror and fascination. The use of practical effects gives the hair extensions a tactile presence, grounding the horror in a physical reality that adds to the film's creepy atmosphere.

While the premise of "EXTE" might sound over the top, Sono's direction ensures that it never becomes purely farcical or loses its edge. The film stays true to its horror roots by building a sense of dread and using tension rather than relying solely on jump scares or gore. The effectiveness of the horror elements is amplified by the performances of Kuriyama and Sato, who bring depth and empathy to their characters, serving as the emotional anchors in a tale filled with surreal horrors.

The soundtrack further complements the movie’s mood, oscillating between whimsical and ominous tunes that underscore the duality of beauty and horror that "EXTE" explores with such originality.

Overall, "EXTE" is more than just a run-of-the-mill horror movie. It offers a rich narrative with nuanced characters and seamlessly integrates a critique of societal issues within its horror framework. For the adventurous viewer looking for a film that defies expectations and offers a story as intricate as the locks of hair at its center, Hair Extensions stands out as a compelling and thought-provoking entry in the genre, showcasing Sion Sono's visionary approach to filmmaking and confirming Chiaki Kuriyama and Megumi Sato as versatile actors capable of delivering compelling performances in even the most surreal of circumstances.

Hair Extensions: EXTE is a 2007 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes.