Few indie filmmakers carry themselves with the polish and confidence of Kyle Misak and Jon Petro. After speaking with them about their latest feature Bad Haircut, it is easy to imagine both becoming household names. They are smart, funny, and completely in sync with one another, two filmmakers chasing impossible ideas and somehow making them real.
Bad Haircut is a film that begins with a long one-shot party sequence, an opening reminiscent of American Pie that immediately sets the stage for something big, glossy, and not your typical indie. That decision, like many in the film, came from the guys pushing to start bold. “We wanted to avoid the kind of small, contained opening people expect from an indie,” Misak explained. “This had to feel like a real movie from the jump.”
The film is a tonal roller coaster, shifting from absurd comedy to unsettling horror, all while following Billy, a college kid who gets more than he bargained for when he sits down in Mick’s barber chair. For Misak, keeping the performances grounded was key: “We told the cast never to wink at the audience. Even in the most ridiculous situations, it had to feel real.”
Much of the movie’s staying power comes from Mick, one of the most magnetic characters in recent memory. Equal parts hilarious, creepy, and strangely endearing, he was inspired by a real barber Misak knew in college. “He’d dance around, whisper in your ear, play weird records; it was an experience. We always said, ‘this guy belongs in a movie.’”
The cast is stacked with familiar faces and unexpected cameos, including Mindy Sterling, Larry Hankin, Kevin Dunn, Rob Raco, and Martin Klebba, yet nothing feels forced. “We were just really fortunate,” Misak said. “It’s just kinda of one of those things where we reached out.”
Then there is the soundtrack, a mix of nostalgic needle drops and perfectly timed emotional beats, from Flo Rida’s “Get Low” to Spacehog and Heart’s “Alone.” The music was shaped by Misak, Petro, and editor Ben Mills, who experimented with tracks during the cut until they felt inseparable from the film. “Once you hear it, you can’t unhear it,” Misak said with a laugh. The duo admits keeping the soundtrack intact through distribution will be a fight, but one they are determined to win.
As for what they hope audiences take away, Misak put it best: “We want it to feel like a roller coaster ride, the kind of movie teens throw on with their friends and eventually hang the poster on their wall.” Petro added, “Our dream is for it to become a cult classic, something people discover, love, and keep alive.”
Having spent time with them, I believe that dream is not far off. Bad Haircut is bold, quotable, and impossible to predict, exactly the kind of film destined to find its audience. And with Misak and Petro steering the ship, this likely will not be the last time we are talking about them. I left our conversation not just impressed, but genuinely rooting for them as friends.
Jessie Hobson