Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- warm
- sentimental
- witty
- lazy sunday
- comfort viewing
What critics said
Critics found the film well-intentioned and occasionally creative, especially in its hairstyles and relationship themes, but broadly regarded it as overplotted, formulaic, and weakly comic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The national hairdressing championship drives Phil, Brian, Shelley, Sandra, Ray, and Christina into direct competition while reopening old family and romantic tensions.
Shelley's terminal cancer motivates renewed contact with Phil and gives the championship an urgent emotional context.
The championship and its elaborate hairstyles make cutting, coloring, and styling central to the film's visual identity.
Keighley's barbershop, beauty salon, and annual championship bind the characters into a tightly connected local community.
Films like Blow Dry, and why
The Full Monty
warm ensemble comedy-drama combining family reconciliation, romantic complications, illness, and an eccentric competition
Calendar Girls
british feel-good underdog comedy centered on an unconventional community competition and wounded personal relationships
Imagine Me & You
ensemble romantic comedy-drama balancing queer relationships, emotional reconciliation, and broad humor
Brassed Off
sentimental british comedy-drama about family tensions, illness, and a community gathering that brings people together
Movie Details
- Director
- Paddy Breathnach
- Release Date
- 2001-03-01
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (155)
Cast
- Alan Rickman
- Natasha Richardson
- Rachel Griffiths
- Rachael Leigh Cook
- Josh Hartnett
- Bill Nighy
- Warren Clarke
- Rosemary Harris
- Hugh Bonneville
- Heidi Klum
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Blow Dry about?
- A fractured Yorkshire family turns a national hairdressing championship into a flamboyant chance for rivalry, romance, and reconciliation.
- What is Blow Dry like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blow Dry as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Blow Dry violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Blow Dry.
- What did critics think of Blow Dry?
- Critics found the film well-intentioned and occasionally creative, especially in its hairstyles and relationship themes, but broadly regarded it as overplotted, formulaic, and weakly comic.
- Which films are like Blow Dry?
- Films with a similar feel include The Full Monty, Calendar Girls, Imagine Me & You, and Brassed Off.
- How long is Blow Dry?
- Blow Dry runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blow Dry?
- In United States, Blow Dry is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
