Tokyo-1997 I found this film very entertaining. There were parts that were very emotional, and some parts that were really scary. The scares were very original. Most of the special effects were good though some were really bad. The scares were terrifying and very unique. The two most terrifying scenes being pulling the hair out from the eye and from the tongue, and the scene where the hair strangles the main character made me jump. This show was more touching than scary to me. Its a movie with tons and tons of hair. This movie is a bit slow at the beginning, but when it grabs you, it really does. This movie, like all other Sion Sono's films have a very great ending that makes people feel happy after watching the film. This movie has the happiest ending in comparison with Noriko's dinner table and also Suicide Club. Everything in this movie is clear unlike suicide club. This movie is entertaining in various ways. There were lots and lots of character development between the characters in the movie. The special effect where the hair attacks the main character and her sister was creepy and interesting. The effects just looked so real. The storyline was great and touching. However, there are still some flaws in this movie. This movie is relatively slow in the first ten to twenty minutes. This movie has some poor special effects as well. The effect where the man became an elf, to me was really bad. This movie has got so many entertaining scenes throughout the second half of the movie just concerning how the hair attacks people. Some of the scenes were just so creative and gross. The part where the girls hair stands up and sticks to the ceiling, than became bald, was just awesome. I like how this movie deals with themes such as "Love" and "Child abuse". The scary scenes mainly occur at night which was great. There are many memorable scenes and really gross scenes in this movie. Hair just comes out from anywhere and attacks people by tieing them up or strangling them. This movie is very original and I personally found it more interesting than shows such as Noriko's dinner table. However, this movie would be more effective if they reduce the comedy for this movie and make this movie scarier. Because the funny parts for this movie are not funny at all, they are just ridiculous. Other than that, this movie is emotional, scary, gross and very entertaining. Score:8/10

Polaris_DiB Upon seeing this movie on the rental shelf, all shiny and brand new, I couldn't help but think, "Wow, that seems a little too 'J-horror' for Sion Sono. I hope this isn't really that bad." Apparently a lot of other reviewers on this site had the same initial doubt. For those of you who haven't been in tune with where those annoying girl-with-long-hair Hollywood remakes have been coming from, "J-horror" refers to a sort of sub-sub-genre of popularized Japanese horror movie usually about ghosts, hauntings, and attracting American audiences. No, seriously, the grand majority of the films dubbed "J-horror" are really not all that different from American horror films because they were inspired by American horror films. Many of them fall also under the "Asian Extreme" label that was practically invented by Tartan DVD, which is basically horror and action movies, only, hence the title, more extreme. Caution should be used when attempting to get into those movies, but there is some good stuff out there. Look for Sono, Takashi Miike, Chan Wook Park, and Shinya Tsukomoto.Anyway, Sion Sono is much more well-known for the epic "Suicide Club", a consistently dazzling and nearly impenetrable thriller that, like all good horror, comments painstakingly on the social situation its filmed in. Other movies like the follow up Noriko's Dinner Table and the metanarrative Strange Circus stamp Sono down as a director to pay attention to. A movie called "Hair Extensions" just doesn't seem like his thing--but it is. Or rather, he makes it his.This movie's plot is often described as being about a hair stylist having to fight against evil hair extensions that kill each other, but it's more like two different sensibilities ultimately clashing. The one sensibility is that very campy J-horror realm of a cursed corpse exacting revenge upon the world via hair that grows out of literally every wound and orifice, distributed by a strange fetishist who likes his fair share of silly disguises. The second aspect is the comedic-melodramatic story of young Yuko, stylist-in-training, who gets pulled out of her happy existence as a hopeful up-and-coming 20 something who likes quirks such as narrating aloud her own life when her abusive hipster sister drops off her (the sister's) little daughter Mami on Yuko's doorstep. Yuko is forced into fending for her new charge, who she quickly grows fond of, though she has to struggle against the young girl's altered perceptions of reality rended from being abused by her mother. Meanwhile, the strange hair fetishist and Yuko meet via the hair salon, people start dying, and bungling cops have no ability to understand what's actually going on. Eventually Yuko has to defend little Mami not only from an abusive mother but from violent, murderous hair. AND ITS AWESOME...Sono is one of those gifted filmmakers who can lead the audience through horror, tragedy, comedy, and melodrama at sudden and unexpected turns, never missing a beat. Some parts of "Hair Extensions" seem cheaper than others, but he's not afraid to let the ridiculous be ridiculous and the serious be affecting. This isn't exactly his greatest work, but some parts noticeably stand out. The scene where the sister and her lover come into contact (literally) with the hair extensions is one of the most shocking, disturbing, amazing, and hilarious--and sudden--scenes in cinema. Yuko's relationship with Mami is more than just a caring adult to a hurt child, it's complicated and Yuko doesn't always know how to handle herself. Weirdly enough, "Hair Extensions" is both the most absurd and most real of Sono's work, with a fully fleshed out and functioning world supporting some of the most random acts of carnage ever shot. Even if this movie doesn't appeal to you intellectually, it certainly has sensationalistic thrills. The funny thing is that the reverse is true, too.--PolarisDiB

saladin-10 Being a Lovecraft fan I was hoping of finding a movie interpretation of his story Medusas's Coil.While the movie starts great (some people mistake the personal game for a comical breaking of the 4-th wall), the mystery behind the hair is explained pretty quickly. But... It ain't Lovecraft. I would love to have seen some cosmic horror creep into the unlikeliest of places. But when you get over the fact, that people need explanations for EVERYTHING nowadays, you can start enjoying what is presented.It's a great mix of multiple personal dramas and a non typical ghost vengeance story with great acting (even the over the top ones) and good production values.If you like a tad more unconventional J-Horror, you'll feel right at home.

kmevy I have to say that i had to laugh when i first read a brief summary, which only focused on the hair-horror part. "Killing hair?! what the .. ?!", i thought. But after seeing "Suicide Circle" and "Strange Circus" i knew that there has to be way more than this ridiculous story."Exte" is obviously a parody! But there seems to be an awful lot of people who expected something like the grudge or the ring and are now pretty disappointed. Well, the scenario is pretty cliché and the ending was pretty gruff; nothing has been really explained at that point. Well, there are a lot of indicators which show directly towards parody! ;) At the very beginning for example: all these ultra-cliché dialog which was narrated in an obscure way in third person; the hair-salon which was named after a french serial killer (had to look that up); etc ...BUT!! This film is still pretty scary ... and i don't mean only the hair, which .. was also scary (yeah, i was kinda scared ;) Human were the most scary/pitiful part here: The girl who was abducted and then used as a source for organs; The mother who abuses her child incessantly; then the child itself, of course; the hair-otaku, a real pitiful psycho; the main character (kuriyama) who carries a heavy burden of the past; all these people who don't care at all where this hair is coming from; just focusing on their beauty .. and all these other side-characters who might also have some sort of a problem.Well, why then the hair-horror-part? Isn't abuse horror enough? ... you might ask. Well, i was wondering myself a bit ;) I mean .. from my perspective it worked out pretty well! .. anxiety, fear, panic, anger, frustration and in the end some sort of relief. It was there! Maybe because the hair-horror part made it easier to grasp the part about abuse etc. In my opinion "Exte" is some sort of an homage and at the same time a critique, that most horror flicks tend to be very superficial and are not trying to imply more than pure scare; some thought-provoking stuff; for example abuse .. ? ;)Anyway: Cast was great!! Especially Osugi was really amazing! Art/direction was also a real feat! The Soundtrack wasn't that impressive but however the sound-design was stunningly good!All in all an amazing film! Especially for J-horror fans with a little bit of humor and for those who have an interest in social relevant topics.Too bad that so many people have been irritated by it .. ;)