Deadly Cuts

It's the warmth and likability of this movie's characters that helps style out what is otherwise an enjoyable but inconsistent and old-fashioned comedy. Angeline Ball and Ericka Roe are particular standouts in Deadly Cuts as maternal salon owner Michelle and fiery hairdresser Stacey. Showing a mixture of grit and determination against those who challenge them, and kindness and unwavering support for each other, the relationships and easy chemistry sell this as a celebration of strong female characters and triumph over adversity. Beyond that, the tone never quite settles. Is it a gritty drama -- with some quite unexpectedly nasty violence? Is it a feel-good celebration? Is it a dark comedy? Is it just plain silly? It's all of these and none of them at once. Unfortunately, this half-heartedness of never fully leaning into any direction really lets the side down.

There are some oversized characters that will get an easy laugh, plenty of fun hairdressing puns, genuine moments of dramatic threat, and uplifting times of elation. But what really remains constant and appealing is the sense of connection. The spoken and unspoken ties between characters -- between four women who work together, who are thrown together to survive, and in the wonderfully knowing link that emerges to the town's older generation of equally strong matriarchs.