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I first became a fan of Jill “Sixx” Gevargizian when I saw her debut short film “Call Girl” back in late 2015. I remember I became aware of the film because of a Facebook post by Jen & Sylvia Soska. They quite understandably loved her short film starring Tristan Risk who had starred in their own film “American Mary” a few years earlier and Laurence Harvey who starred in “The Human Centipede 2 & 3“. If I remember rightly I was lucky enough to see it because it was made available on YouTube for 48 hours over the Christmas period of 2015. I loved “Call Girl” and felt that Jill is a very talented film-maker. She clearly has some interesting ideas of what a horror film can be and wants to do something different within the horror genre.

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Call Girl” is a very impressive short film that achieves a lot in its short running time. It has a black comedic edge that I loved. Added to this it has some well built up tension that leads up to an unexpected finale. It perfectly showcases two of the best actors of the modern horror genre. To be honest I didn’t even actually recognize Tristan Risk even though it was the second film I had seen her in. The reason being is that in her breakout role in “American Mary” she was totally unrecognisable under some brilliant prosthetic make up. Both her and Laurence Harvey really seemed to be having great fun with their “Call Girl” characters. Needless to say “Call Girl” instantly made me a fan of Jill “Sixx” Gevargizian.

Call Girl” is actually available to watch on YouTube. So what are you waiting for. Go check it out when you’ve read this. Don’t worry the lagging in the film is intentional.

Prior to “Call Girl“, in 2012 Jill created an independent horror films showcase in her home town of Kansas City, Missouri called Slaughter Movie House that she is still running today. She was second-unit director on Jen & Sylvia Soska’s segment of “ABCs Of Death 2” and was assistant director on James Bickert‘s feature film “Frankenstein Created Bikers“. Also her micro short “Grammy” (2015) was picked up by Eli Roth’s Crypt TV. She has produced a number of films and has also directed some music videos. Add to this that she has so far directed two of the Women In Horror Month Massive Blood Drive PSA short films, and contributed to the WIH Massive Blood Drive Anthem 2017 music video. The WIH Blood Drive PSA short films started in 2010 and are made to promote blood donations. As some who know me will know it’s a cause I’m passionate about.

What I am most excited about is that Jill is also soon to direct her first feature film. Never mind that she’s also been working as a hair stylist for 10 years. So it’s a bit of an understatement to say that she’s a very busy lady, as well as being a very talented film-maker.

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After seeing “Call Girl” I was really excited to see what Jill would do next. Among those projects was “The Stylist“. The title alone had me intrigued in itself. When I received my Blu-ray copy that I’d purchased from “The Stylist” website I wasted no time in watching it.

I absolutely loved the film and promptly watched it again. It is so different to any horror film I’ve seen in quite a while. The visuals, music and sound instantly brought to my mind one of the best and most psychologically complex TV shows I’ve ever seen, “Hannibal“. Some aspects of the psychological complexity of “Hannibal” are evident in “The Stylist“. I’m a big fan of “Hannibal” so I don’t use the comparison lightly.

The Stylist” is one of the most visually striking and beautiful looking horror films I’ve seen in a quite a while. The cinematography is fantastic. Along with the music it gives a poetic feel to the film. Reminding me of the Japanese film “Grotesque” (2009). However it is Najarra Townsend’s brilliant performance that elevates the film to yet another level. She adds so much depth to her character without the need for a great deal of dialogue. She is so perfectly understated and nuanced in her performance. Bringing aspects to her character that I’ve very rarely seen in horror films in recent years.

At 15 minutes long it was far too short and by the end I was left wanting more in a very good way. Within that short running time it achieves far more than many feature length films. Jill Gervargizian and Najarra Townsend have created a quite unique complex character within the horror genre. The film and the character have a depth I’ve rarely seen in a horror film in the last few years. I’m not surprised at all The Stylist has already won multiple awards. I’m really hoping that they get the chance to expand the film and the character one day by way of a feature film.

I cannot wait for Jill Gervargizian’s first feature film, but for now I’m really excited to see her next short film “42 Count“. Again starring Najarra Townsend. Due sometime in 2018. Because from “The Stylist” I honestly do feel that they will bring a lot of originality and freshness to the horror genre.

Jill Gervargizian and her film “The Stylist” are both great examples of why I’m passionate about independent films and in particular female film-makers.

I hope she has the very long and very successful career she deserves. From “The Stylist” and her other short films I really do feel she will.

You can see some of Jill Gervargizian’s short films and music videos with these links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/killerhair6/videos

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/gevargizian

Karl Franks