Growing up in a time before the internet was able to instantly provide you with information, self-proclaimed weird kids like me prided ourselves on our ability to dig up obscure punk records and horror films.

My drive for discovering esoteric pop culture coupled with nearly a decade of working in barbershops, makes it no surprise that I am fervently drawn to the hair choices around me.

With my favorite season finally upon us, and plenty of time being spent at home, I’m happy to share with you (in no particular order) my personal favorites in horror hair.

1. Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby

This Roman Polanski classic is just as disturbing, shocking and visually attractive now as it was when it was released 52 years ago.

Farrow’s pixie-cut was wholly revolutionary for the time. This is a cut that is substantially shorter than what was considered acceptable for women to be sporting. The cut itself highlights Rosemary’s gaunt look and troubled demeanor as she begins to discover the truths surrounding her pregnancy.

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2. Nao Omari In Ichi the Killer

 

This one is not for the squeamish! Hitting somewhere on the scary spectrum between Leon the Professional and Hellraiser, this 2001 Japanese gangland-gore masterpiece is as stylish as it is brutal. Ichi’s bleached blonde textured shag, flashy wardrobe and facial scars have become iconic in their own right. They’re instantly identifiable to fans of this underground classic. For further proof of Ichi’s lasting influence on style as a whole, the film was recently given its own capsule collection by streetwear behemoth Supreme, and was featured prominently on the brand’s homepage.

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3. Snoop Dogg in Bones

This film is way underrated! Borrowing heavily from blaxploitation films in the 1970’s, Snoop Dogg stars as the ghost of a gangster with his heart in the right place, who rises from the dead to avenge his death. Snoop Dogg never needed any help looking good, and his character, Jimmy Bones, is no different. In life, Jimmy Bones kept a shoulder length perm, complimenting his pinstripe suits and matching hats. Jimmy Bones from beyond the grave has long straight hair paired with an equally fashionable leather trench, and blood red tie. The hair accentuates Snoops naturally tall stature and slim physique giving him an otherworldly quality.

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4. Twin Peaks

David Lynch is well known for crafting a masterful vibe, and having a keen eye for style. Twin Peaks premiered on ABC in the Spring of 1990 and flipped network television on its side by mixing some heavy topics with real world occultism. Lynch’s surreal, dreamlike filming style has stayed so relevant that this series has maintained a rabid cult fan base for the last 30 years. From Agent Cooper’s pitch black slick back to Josie Packard’s androgynous crop to Killer Bob’s long, menacing salt & pepper locks, each character’s style helps to pull the viewer deeper into the Twin Peaks’ immersive world.

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5. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

It can be difficult to explain The Rocky Horror Picture Show to someone unfamiliar with it, but when faced with this challenge, I like to show the above photo and then it always clicks.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is where all aspects of subculture up to that point collided into something that was as visually stunning as it was fun and sexy. Every hairstyle in the film has become iconic. 

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6. The Lost Boys

You had to know we’d end up here. Up until 1987’s The Lost Boys, every image we knew of a vampire was Dracula-esque. This was the first time the vampire was given a look that read young and cool. The Lost Boys looked more like they were a SoCal glam band, or maybe a crew of hard-ass surfers, rather than vampires. Their textured mullets and feathered hair were a big departure from the way we thought of vampires. The Lost Boys is to thank for the vampire renaissance we’ve seen throughout the 2000s.