Hair High

A spoiler light review of Hair High should begin with tone, because Bill Plympton understands exactly how this animated adventure ought to feel. Hair High gains early credibility from Eric Gilliland, whose presence is balanced by the different rhythm of Sarah Silverman. The foundation of Hair High can be stated simply: A gothic '50s high school comedy about a love triangle that goes terribly bad, as two young, murdered teens return to their prom to get revenge. Within its 1h 18m running time, Hair High reveals both the benefits and the limits of that disciplined approach.

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The most useful technical choice in Hair High is precise visual timing, because it helps the audience understand both space and mood. Plymptoons frames Hair High through precise visual timing without letting surface finish replace character. Drawing on its United States background, Hair High uses bold colour choices to give familiar material a more specific texture. Cinematography, sound and editing meet effectively in Hair High whenever a sequence must feel large without losing its human scale.

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What keeps Hair High emotionally readable is Eric Gilliland, whose choices establish a consistent point of view. In scenes with Sarah Silverman, Hair High gains tension from two performers refusing to produce the same kind of energy. Dermot Mulroney contributes a separate rhythm to Hair High and helps the supporting material feel less purely functional. The direction by Bill Plympton gives the cast of Hair High room to connect the quieter beats with the larger ones.

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At story level, Hair High turns the central character and an important relationship into the source of its main tension. The role played by Eric Gilliland becomes the viewer's route through Hair High, especially when a difficult choice begins to alter the situation. Bill Plympton gives Hair High momentum by allowing choices to create consequences instead of treating each scene as isolated information. Even when the wider conflict pushes the plot toward familiar ground, Hair High remains attentive to what that pressure means for its characters.

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Bill Plympton gives Hair High a directorial line that is clear enough to keep the emotional line visible from its opening promise to its final movement. The staging of Hair High is strongest when Bill Plympton allows motivation to determine pace instead of reversing that priority. Viewed as a complete piece, Hair High confirms that its modest pleasures remain genuine across most of the running time. A tighter version of Hair High would address how a few supporting ideas remain thinner than the central one, yet the surrounding work remains persuasive.

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Hair High finds additional purpose in its examination of identity and the courage required to grow beyond familiar expectations. Through the performance of Eric Gilliland, Hair High makes that examination feel personal before it becomes broadly symbolic. The idea of the central character repeatedly returns Hair High to the cost behind its more visible developments. Bill Plympton is most persuasive when Hair High allows the theme to emerge from an uncomfortable choice rather than polished dialogue.

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Taken as a whole, Hair High is a solid choice for the right audience for animation fans who value character as much as visual invention. Hair High leaves its strongest impression through precise visual timing, the work of Eric Gilliland and a clear understanding of tone. The limitations around how a few supporting ideas remain thinner than the central one should be acknowledged, but they do not erase what Hair High does well. I would return to Hair High for its personality and its willingness to connect genre pleasure with recognisable feeling.