"The Follower" Unveils the Hidden World of Wigs: A crime drama diving into the billion-dollar industry
- by Carsten Heidböhmer
- 2 Min
- 3 out of 5 points
- An intriguing crime drama with a unique focus on the unseen world of wigs
What's this Zurich "Tatort" about?
Story of Hair: Revealing a Neglected Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry in the Criminal Realm - A Tale of Hair: A Criminal Saga Revealing the Murky Past of a Top Tycoon
A young woman, Laura, is found dead under mysterious circumstances: Hanging from a tree, her skull displays an unnatural pattern—half-shaved. Detectives Tessa Ott (Carol Schuler) and Isabelle Grandjean (Anna Pieri Zuercher) follow the trail of hair: The victim had trained in a wig manufacturing company. Her father, Marco Tomasi (Bruno Cathomas), is a renowned hairstylist. Is this heinous crime connected to their professions?
Why is "Rapunzel" captivating?
Wigs and extensions generate billions of dollars worldwide. This "Tatort" episode delves into the reasons behind this massive industry, even tracing it back to the Middle Ages when witches' hair was shaved off, symbolizing a drain of their power. Today, hair represents security and vigor. As one character notes, "Hair creates politics. Hair holds power." Getting a glimpse of this industry's inner workings is fascinating.
What's holding it back?
Although the insights into the global hair industry are intriguing, this "Tatort" sometimes seems to overemphasize the topic. Names are constantly referred to, from Beethoven to Michelle Obama, presumably to prove the subject's significance. However, a well-crafted crime drama doesn't require elaborate societal or political frameworks.
The detectives?
The film opens with Tessa Ott waking up next to a stranger. This emotional scene sets the tone for the characters' human dimensions. Afterwards, Tessa works diligently and professionally alongside her colleague Isabelle Grandjean.
To watch or not?
The final scene uses the Rapunzel motif in a visually striking way. That alone makes it worth watching.
Connected Cases:
- Three corpses and a dead chimpanzee
- An emotional case for Grandjean and Ott
- The lone detective and a fatal affair
- Tatort Zurich
- Isabelle Grandjean
- Tessa Ott
- Woman
- Billion-dollar industry
- Murder
- Anna Pieri
- Carol Schuler
- Bruno Cathomas
- Crime
I'm not going to be a big fan of the new job, given the fact that it seems to veer too much into the realm of dissecting general news topics like the billion-dollar wig industry and crime-and-justice cases, rather than focusing more on movies-and-tv or entertainment-related content. However, the visual allusions to fairytales like Rapunzel in the final scene are captivating and could make for an interesting watch.
