A24 debuted the official trailer for Medusa Deluxe, the funny whodunit film set backstage in a hairdressing competition, starring Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Clare Perksins, Darrell D’Silva, Debris Stevenson, Harriet Webb, Heider Ali, Kae Alexander, Kayla Meikle, Lilit Lesser, Luke Pasqualino, and Nicholas Karimi.
Release Date
Written and directed by Thomas Hardiman making his feature debut, Medusa Deluxe premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, and will open in select theaters and VOD on August 11, 2023.
Synopsis
Talented, ambitious, and backstabbing hairstylists gather for a competition in England, only to find one of their own murdered before judging can begin. Winding through neon-lit halls and backstage dressing rooms, competitors unspool long-simmering resentments and secrets as they search for the killer among them, in this devilishly funny whodunit from debut filmmaker Thomas Hardiman.
Reviews
In their review, Loud and Clear wrote, “Meanwhile, the murder mystery element drags the narrative down due to its sloppy development. You begin to get lost amidst everything that is happening. The viewer can’t sense where the murder mystery and the competition connect with one another, and many will be left wanting more from both ends of the story. Medusa Deluxe’s weaknesses lay in its entangled narrative that adopts two different concepts, never finding its footing in terms of storytelling.”
“There are also moments in the movie’s latter half where Hardiman flexes his daring director muscles. But they arrive too little too late, as these scenes were the ones the audience was expecting this whole time. The dance routine and gospel choir, backed by an electronic disco instrumental, are easily the best sequences in the film, which proves that Medusa Deluxe would have benefited from leaning into the excess and flamboyance of the subculture it depicts.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for Medusa Deluxe.