--- title: "Medusa Deluxe: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/medusa-deluxe/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/medusa-deluxe" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Medusa Deluxe (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 10 reviews: 6 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics agree on what Medusa Deluxe does well and where it falls short, and the two lists barely overlap. The praise goes almost entirely to the staging: a murder mystery played out backstage at a hairdressing competition in a single continuous take, with roving camerawork that several reviews name as the main reason to watch. The ensemble is warmly received, Clare Perkins in particular, and the hair and costume design draw approving notes even from the doubters. The reservations cluster around the script. Review after review says the mystery loses tension as it goes, that the characters stay thin, and that the ending arrives quietly. The spread is fairly narrow, with most reviews landing between three stars and a B-plus. The clear dissent is RogerEbert.com, which finds the film dull as a whodunnit despite the technical display, and The Guardian is nearly as cool, faulting a suspense-free screenplay that the long take cannot rescue. ## IndieWire — Marisa Mirabal Rating B+. 29 September 2022. Festival review. The critic calls it an arresting and visually stunning achievement that breaks storytelling frameworks. The lavish competitive hairstyling setting and murder mystery elements are highlighted positively. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/medusa-deluxe-review-1234768005/) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 2023. The critic calls it a unique, ambitious and visually bold debut that swings for the fences with genre flair in a murder-mystery set at a hairdressing competition. They single out the long-take camerawork and the film’s focus on working-class women of colour. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/medusa-deluxe/) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Rating 3/4. 8 August 2023. The critic appreciates the artifice and frivolous surface-level fun of the single-shot murder mystery in a hairdressing competition but faults it for being too careful and not fully committing to superficiality. The roving cinematography mirroring the subject is noted as both strength and weakness. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/medusa-deluxe-review-thomas-hardiman/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2023. The critic finds the film mesmerizing as a formal feat in continuous take but imperfect as it fails to stick the landing in its mystery. Stellar performances, especially Clare Perkins, and clever camera work are singled out for praise amid the cutthroat hairstyling world. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/medusa-deluxe-review-1235560928/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 August 2022. Festival review. The one-shot hairdressing murder mystery is flashy and arch but the storytelling lacks the same swagger as the visuals. It delights in its unusual suspects and gossip-fueled setup more than procedural elements. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/medusa-deluxe-review-1235335450/) ## Little White Lies — Cheyenne Bart-Stewart Rating 3/3/3. 6 June 2023. The film offers engaging visual storytelling and a fresh perspective on the murder mystery genre but ultimately feels like style over substance with faltering characterisation and plot. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/medusa-deluxe) ## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona Rating 3/5. This technically impressive debut features strong performances and vivid production design but has a script that is a little flat with some narrative strands needing more development. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zog4d5/medusa-deluxe/) ## RogerEbert.com — Christy Lemire Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 11 August 2023. The film is technically dazzling with its long-take style but narratively dull and boring as a murder mystery. The characters lack depth and the story fails to engage despite the unusual hairdressing competition setting. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/medusa-deluxe-movie-review-2023) ## Screen Daily 6 August 2022. Festival review. Hardiman’s brashly confident debut is a darkly comic meta-whodunnit with extravagant one-take staging and strong performances, though its dense exposition and theatrical approach may limit wider appeal. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/medusa-deluxe-locarno-review/5173218.article) ## Sight and Sound 17 August 2022. Festival review. The critic finds the plot thin and unconvincing beneath its flamboyant one-take style, calling the film a follicular folly despite its visual razzle-dazzle and giddy fun elements. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/medusa-deluxe-lather-overdone) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 11 June 2023. The critic finds the promising murder-mystery premise in the competitive hairdressing world undermined by a suspense-free screenplay and a single continuous take that fails to inject energy when the pace flags. The hair and costume design receive praise for their extravagantly silly creations. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/11/medusa-deluxe-review-limp-competitive-hairdressing-whodunnit) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Rating Critic's Pick. 10 August 2023. The debut is an invigoratingly bold and proudly indelicate pleasure with inventive structure and a continuous-take style. It singles out the hairdressing world and ensemble performances for their playful energy amid the murder mystery. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/movies/medusa-deluxe-review.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★☆☆. 9 June 2023. The one-shot murder mystery set backstage at a hairdressing competition is praised for its rapid-fire dialogue and adrenaline among the spooked characters. The mystery eventually dissipates, with the film relying on roaming camerawork and high-camp performances in an otherwise impressive debut. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/medusa-deluxe-review-a-hairstylist-scalped-in-a-one-shot-murder-mystery-rbwh2xllp) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating B. 11 August 2023. The critic finds the debut feature ambitious in its single-take structure and wild characters but notes the mystery lacks tension and can confuse. Style and the over-the-top ensemble ultimately make it worthwhile. [Read the review](https://collider.com/medusa-deluxe-review-a24/) ## The Playlist — Christian Gallichio Rating B-. 10 August 2023. Calls it a bold energetic debut with great vibes and camerawork but criticizes shallow characters and skeletal narrative, feeling incomplete. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/medusa-deluxe-review-energetic-hairdresser-murder-mystery-mainly-coasts-on-vibes-20230810/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson 9 June 2023. Festival review. Praises the audacious choreography, dialogue, and risk-taking in the single-take style, noting strong cast and jazzy energy from the score. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/medusa-deluxe-2022-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Film Stories — Lauren Miles 9 June 2023. The critic praises the innovative single-take whodunnit structure and sharp dialogue but notes it lacks tension and delivers a quiet ending. Praises the cast performances, especially Perkins and Pasqualino. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/medusa-deluxe-review-an-innovative-murder-mystery/) ## Paste — Anna McKibbin Rating 7.8. 9 August 2023. The film is praised as a thrilling reinvention of the one-shot thriller with fluid direction and a strong cast that balances humor and violence. Hardiman's debut is called a miraculous, glamorous achievement that feels like the next haunted-house film. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/thomas-hardiman/medusa-deluxe-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/medusa-deluxe.md