20 Weird Movie Haircuts

Kingpin (1996)

The Haircut: Somewhere between a comb-over and an overgrown mess. All the better for bowling with?

Weirdest Detail:
Just look at it all floaty and whispy, like mouldy candyfloss blowing in the wind. Even the hair seems to want to escape that scalp.

Does It Work?
Ernie should just have do and get a cool bowling hat. Anything’s better than that monstrosity.

Working Girl (1988)

The Haircut: Attack of the ‘80s! Joan Cusack and Melanie Griffith get out the hairspray and backcomb until it looks like they’ve been dragged through a bush backwards. A lot.

Weirdest Detail:
The hair we can handle in a surely-they’re-being-ironic kind of way. But, Joan... shoulder pads?

Does It Work?
Only as a threat – hold a live flame near that pile of hair-sprayed curls while screaming “I’m going to do it!” and you’ll clear the room in a New York minute.

Con Air (1997)

The Haircut: Nic Cage continues to commit hideous crimes against innocent hair with this mullet, just one of many ill deeds he’s carried out in the name of hairiffic ‘dos.

Weirdest Detail:
Long in the back and the sides, distinctly receding at the crown. Cage could do with taking some tips from Kingpin ’s Ernie.

Does It Work?
Considering the ‘do makes him look a bit like a wrestler, you definitely wouldn’t mess with this guy physically. You could probably make him cry by yelling mean things about his crop, though.

Unbreakable (2000)

The Haircut: A dark puff of cloud atop Samuel L Jackson’s usually shiny-shaved bonce.

Weirdest Detail:
Mostly the fact that it genuinely does just look like a wig, which is sort of in keeping with the weird character.

Does It Work?
It’s definitely unnerving, and implies this guy’s a bit cracked in more ways than one.

Johnny Suede (1991)

The Haircut: A mountainous quiff – the kind of quiff that all other quiffs sit around campfires and whisper about in secretively.

Weirdest Detail:
It’s huge! In fact, it’s very nearly a beehive. Is that really what Johnny’s going for?

Does It Work?
If size matters, then this is a literal crowning glory. But really, how practical is that thing? Doorways aren’t built for a man with two heads, which is essentially what Johnny’s sporting.

The Fifth Element (1997)

The Haircut: Chris Tucker walks around with what looks like a big laser concealed in his ‘do. That or something else a little less savoury.

Weirdest Detail:
Just what is that big protruding hair funnel? On second thought, don’t bother trying to answer that.

Does It Work?
Perhaps in a futuristic diva sort of way (Tucker beat Gaga, whoda thunk?!), and if NASA ever need a new launchpad for their latest spaceship, this should fit the bill.

The Accused (1988)

The Haircut: A self-inflicted hackjob courtesy of rape victim Sarah Tobias.

Weirdest Detail:
It’s so spiky! And weird! And doesn’t really look good at all, if we’re being honest. We know we shouldn’t say that, considering the ‘do’s a fall-out from Sarah’s horrific attack, but still. Go to a hairdresser next time.

Does It Work?
As bad as the ‘do is, it does bring out Tobias’ cutthroat cheek bones.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

The Haircut: A delightful bowl cult, because serial killers obviously don’t take a trip to the hairdressers that often and resort to cutting their own hair while on the hunt.

Weirdest Detail:
It really does look like Chigurh used to a bowl to cut his hair.

Does It Work?
That Chigurh remains a truly terrifying killer despite his horrible hair is quite something. Even when we should be laughing ourselves silly, we’re really cowering in fear. And that’s just at the hair.

Zoolander (2001)

The Haircut: Mugatu takes fashion tips from his poodle and opts for a peroxide white perm.

Weirdest Detail:
The additional bit off fluff on his chin almost looks like a lady V. Shudder.

Does It Work?
It’s certainly not the most bizarre on this list, and in the world of fashion, the more outrageous the better.

Dreamgirls (2006)

The Haircut: Eddie Murphy copies Samuel L Jackson’s look from Unbreakable , with added lacquer for serious shape and hold.

Weirdest Detail:
Just how big is Murphy’s forehead? Here it’s a jutting shelf of well-moisturised flesh. Meanwhile, the hair itself looks like it’s fresh out of a jelly mould. Wrong.

Does It Work?
No.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.