Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thought-provoking, troubling drama has explicit sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Bad Hair (Pelo Malo)
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Nine-year-old Junior (Samuel Lange Zambrano) wishes he could straighten his BAD HAIR in time for his back-to-school photo to be taken. His mother Marta (Samantha Castillo) is afraid that Junior's obsession with straightening is more evidence that he's gay and uses disturbing tactics to ensure that he isn't. At best, she actively dislikes Junior while lavishing affection and attention on Junior's baby brother. At worst, she uses her own sexuality as a weapon against Junior in a war that perhaps shouldn't be fought in the first place and that neither can hope to win.
Is It Any Good?
This disturbing Spanish-language drama is excellent but not for kids. Director Mariana Rondón gets superlative, powerful performances from both Samantha Castillo as Marta and the young Samuel Lange as Junior, ensuring that their story will stay with viewers for a long time. Bad Hair (Pelo Malo) doesn't attempt to provide answers. Instead, it presents the tragic story of a boy's lost future in a gritty, almost documentary style. And it asks a lot of questions: Why can't Junior accept his curls? Why can't his mother accept Junior? Do they love each other or not? Is she homophobic? Is Junior gay? Does it matter? What about the not-so-subtle messages about body image from a news media obsessed with beauty pageants and reality-show talent contests? Would Junior be better off with his grandmother? How could his mother even do that?
Rondón asks these questions with an unflinching but tender, steady gaze. Mature viewers' hearts will break at Junior's inability (through no fault of his own) to appreciate his own strength and beauty, in every sense. The questions raised are certainly spot-on for teens and adults to think about, but the explicit sex, and Marta's use of sexuality as power, make it suitable for adults only.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the sexual content in Bad Hair. How much is OK for teens to see?
Junior marches to the beat of his own drum. Are you, or is someone you know, like that, too? Do you feel accepted and loved for who you are? How do you think Junior feels about himself?
Why do you think Junior wishes his hair were straight? Why not accept and celebrate his curls? Is there anything about yourself you wish you could change? What's the difference between you and Junior, or are there any differences?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 7, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : May 10, 2015
- Cast : Samuel Lange Zambrano , Samantha Castillo
- Director : Mariana Rondón
- Studio : Cinema Tropical
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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