Why you can trust 12DOVE
Armed with hot curling tongs and a cool 'tude, Queen Latifah brings effortless style to Billie Woodruff's Beauty Shop. She's feisty hairdresser Gina (previously seen in the ho-hum Barbershop 2) who ditches her job at a swanky salon to set up on her own. Kevin Bacon is wickedly funny as her frou frou ex-boss, affecting a ludicrous accent somewhere between Arnie and Graham Norton.
But their rivalry takes second place to Gina's struggle to build a better life for her daughter (Paige Hurd). Woodruff deftly balances the comedy and drama, though a romantic subplot involving Djimon Hounsou is lazily tacked on. Likewise, Alicia Silverstone's Clueless white girl routine is annoyingly contrived, especially as it's wrapped up in a halfhearted commentary on race relations. Thankfully the sharply written banter provides an edge, while Latifah's earthy charm and snipping sarcasm ensures the flick is a cut above the average.
The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.
One of our most-anticipated JRPGs for 2025 was being made "just for fun in the beginning" and "everybody was working for free"
These Warhammer Underworlds warbands have started something that'll make Black Friday dangerous for my wallet
Will there be an Arcane season 3? Here's what the creators have said about what's coming next