Nappily Ever After is a Netflix film that follows the journey of Violet as she discovers there's more to her than just her hair. And while basing a movie around a woman's hair may seem quite trivial, it is anything but.
Women across the globe spend an absolute fortune on hair products throughout their lives. From getting highlights and trims at the salon to shampooing, blow drying and styling at home, women invest a lot of money. Violet, in Nappily Ever After is one such woman.
Sanaa Lathan plays Violet, our hero who has spent her entire life trying to maintain perfect hair. And it doesn't stop there. From early on in the film we learn that Violet has a rather unhealthy obsession with being perfect. Her entire life literally doesn't have a hair out of place. She has the perfect job, perfect boyfriend, perfect life. Until she doesn't.
When she doesn't get the expected marriage proposal she confronts her not-to-be fiancee. When he compares their relationship to being on a ‘two year first date', Violet realises that things must come to an end.
The relationship breakdown leads to a work mishap that sees her demoted. After a few too many drinks and a night of self-pity, Violet does the unthinkable. She shaves her head. Now free from the trappings of having to maintain her hair she can discover who she really is when she is no longer perfect.
Nappily Ever After is a lovely movie about one woman's voyage of self-discovery. It explores the exploitation of women's insecurities and how a multi-billion dollar industry prey's on the notion that long flowing locks are the epitome of beauty. Sanna Latham actually shaved her head for the movie and although I enjoyed it, it just seemed to be missing something.
The most moving part of the film was when Violet shaves her head. Undoubtedly it was an emotional and intense scene that most women will genuinely relate to. But that's about as deep as it gets.
t's a bit cliched. She has a marriage-obsessed mother, played by Lynn Whitfield who also stars in Greenleaf (check out the review here) and a boss who is so out of touch that it's a miracle he even has a job. And ultimately, as good as Sanaa Latham is, as a character we never really get to know Violet. Which is a shame.
Nappily Ever After has it's good points and it is very easy to watch as a half decent chick flick. So don't write it off completely just don't expect a huge amount from it.
