Hellbender: An Indie Folk Horror Gem
16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams) suffers from a rare illness that has kept her isolated on a mountaintop with her mother (Toby Poser) her whole life. As Izzy begins to question her sickness, she pushes back against her confinement and secretly befriends Amber (Lulu Adams), another girl living on the mountain. Her newfound happiness is derailed after she eats a live worm as part of a juvenile game and finds an insatiable and violent hunger awakened within her.
In Hellbender, Izzy, a home-schooled loner with a mysterious illness, gets a witchy awakening. The film is one of the more inspired flicks to come out of the pandemic lockdown, and it does wonders with its micro-budget. It had its U.S. premiere at last year's Fantastic Fest (where we first had a chance to glimpse it), but this indie folk horror gem has now found its way to Shudder where it will hopefully find a broader audience.
It’s not a perfect film, but there’s something undeniably infectious about it all, from its big ambitious swings to its intimately hand-crafted feel. Any perceived flaws ultimately pale in comparison to this darling indie’s many achievements. Truthfully, there’s so much about Hellbender that kicks absolute ass; it’s a fresh, spunky take on the coming-of-age film that boldly transcends its budgetary limitations with stylish verve.
For a backyard effort, the thick atmosphere and eye-catching cinematography (from John and Zelda Adams) is downright impressive; there’s not a single moment in which it becomes dull to look at it. Imagine the style and humor of Jennifer’s Body and the folky, supernatural atmospherics of The VVitch, crossed with a trippy, psychedelic alternative-rock music video, and you’re close to capturing Hellbender’s essence. It’s a natural progression to the daring confidence the Adams’ exhibited in their previous feature, The Deeper You Dig (which made them an indie-horror success), but Hellbender also adds a campy sense of humor that nicely contrasts its darker leanings and peppers the slow-boiling tension with necessary moments of levity.
While it dabbles in familiar genre conventions, it also strives to break new ground by creating a cool new mythology, that of the titular Hellbender: a witch-demon hybrid that’s able to draw power out of nature and the blood of the living. The supernatural elements make you lean in, but it’s the palpable mother/daughter relationship that keeps you glued. It’s a heap of fun watching the pair rock out in their face paint and get ripped out of their gourde on earthworms and maggots. Their relationship has a tenderness to it, but there’s more below the surface, and the film takes its time unearthing the mystery. As tensions grow between Izzy and her mother, the true nature of their relationship is revealed, resulting in an interesting conclusion that flips the parental script.
Some of the film’s special effects are hit and miss, and some of the supporting performances feel a bit off, but so much of Hellbender (namely the lead performances and narrative ingenuity) feels first-rate. Its lean 86-minute runtime is affectionately packed with an even mix of the silly and substantive, resulting in a slow burn that surprises and delights more than anything else.
Overall, its novel concept is richly layered, compellingly explored, and backed by some thoroughly groovy tunes (also recorded by the family under the moniker H6LLB6ND6R). The more it slips into surrealism and psychedelia, the more enamoring it becomes, but it’s nothing short of an indie triumph — and it’s certainly only something the Adams’ family could cook up.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for some innovative and witchy, look no further than Hellbender! You can stream the film right now on Shudder.
Craving more?! Check out the link below:
Fantastic Fest Q&A: Hellbender w/Toby Poser, John Adams, and Zelda Adams
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!