(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A lonely teen discovers her family's ties to witchcraft.”
To Hellbender’s credit, the film both is and isn’t a story about witchcraft; and that alone might be one of the best reasons to check out this interesting ‘variation on a theme’ from writers, directors, and actors John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser.
Granted, there’s a great deal of spectral energy implied in the vast majority of the motion picture. Both mother (played by Poser) and daughter Izzy (Zelda Adams) are dabbling heavily in the dark arts. Both ladies appear to possess a unique command over this small, backwoods corner of the universe. Both demonstrate the ability to conjure up abilities far beyond those of mortal men and women. But the script adds another layer – a genetic one – which suggests they’re also descendants of a different breed of human being – a ‘Hellbender’ – and its this substance that gives their shared story something more to think about that just spells, incantations, cauldron boiling, and like-minded chicanery. They might just be something audiences never thought possible.
Even as an independent feature – a quick Google.com search will tell you that the flick was shot for less than $2.00 – Hellbender has an impressive denseness to it. Conceived and shot during the height of the dreaded COVID Era, the picture capitalizes on an impressive use of space – the screen talent rarely appear together in the same frame, but you likely won’t notice – so much so that the vastness of some simple imagery creates its own identity. In creative ways, the directors almost dare viewers to look away or find something more impactful than the elegance of these small moments captured in time, whether its off-the-beaten-path, inside a quaint farmhouse, or slathered in blackness with faces lit by little more than candlelight. It’s the kind of aesthetic some cinematographers would kill for, and that’s astonishing to believe it was truly captured ‘on the fly.’
Now, none of that praise removes the fact that Hellbender has some serious hurdles even accomplishing what it does with bare bones efficiency.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A lonely teen discovers her family's ties to witchcraft.”
To Hellbender’s credit, the film both is and isn’t a story about witchcraft; and that alone might be one of the best reasons to check out this interesting ‘variation on a theme’ from writers, directors, and actors John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser.
Granted, there’s a great deal of spectral energy implied in the vast majority of the motion picture. Both mother (played by Poser) and daughter Izzy (Zelda Adams) are dabbling heavily in the dark arts. Both ladies appear to possess a unique command over this small, backwoods corner of the universe. Both demonstrate the ability to conjure up abilities far beyond those of mortal men and women. But the script adds another layer – a genetic one – which suggests they’re also descendants of a different breed of human being – a ‘Hellbender’ – and its this substance that gives their shared story something more to think about that just spells, incantations, cauldron boiling, and like-minded chicanery. They might just be something audiences never thought possible.
Even as an independent feature – a quick Google.com search will tell you that the flick was shot for less than $2.00 – Hellbender has an impressive denseness to it. Conceived and shot during the height of the dreaded COVID Era, the picture capitalizes on an impressive use of space – the screen talent rarely appear together in the same frame, but you likely won’t notice – so much so that the vastness of some simple imagery creates its own identity. In creative ways, the directors almost dare viewers to look away or find something more impactful than the elegance of these small moments captured in time, whether its off-the-beaten-path, inside a quaint farmhouse, or slathered in blackness with faces lit by little more than candlelight. It’s the kind of aesthetic some cinematographers would kill for, and that’s astonishing to believe it was truly captured ‘on the fly.’
Now, none of that praise removes the fact that Hellbender has some serious hurdles even accomplishing what it does with bare bones efficiency.
The directors indulge themselves with far too many supernatural montages – both the mother and the daughter use such ghostly trickery to monitor one another (and, it would appear, the world-at-large) – and all of that business grows a bit tiresome from its overuse. Also, not all of their supernatural gifts and even their family history are explained cogently enough to avoid some narrative pitfalls. (Where exactly does this mythology begin? Why are mother and daughter so heavily invested in their music? Why hasn’t Izzy even remotely wondered before if her mother was deceiving her?) The pervasive vagueness might tickle some in the audience, but I’m always of the mindset that knowing more helps to enhance the resulting atmosphere: knowing less is almost always a liability.
Thankfully, the cast is small – nepotism rules! (I kid, I kid) – and not a great deal of range is required of anyone. Poser is a bit bland in the first half, mostly making great use of her stated good intentions to keep her daughter safe if not somewhat dumb about the true nature of their shared heritage; but she gets better in the second half when she’s given vastly more to both process and respond to. Some might even begin to suspect her motivations all along were a bit more nefariousness until she’s finds herself cornered by the huge error of her ways; whether she’s owed sympathy or crucifixion could be a great talking point for those mulling over what to make of her dire circumstances. Zelda Adams is quite good consistently as she handles both her character’s naivety and her slowly emerging self-awareness in just the way a young skull full of mush might. There’s a bit of clunkiness around her loss of innocence – the screaming bits were a bit too theatrical – but there’s no denying the delight of her epiphany in learning she’s a veritable monster-in-waiting. If her destiny is truly right around the corner, then Izzy might just be owed a screen follow-up that’s hinted at in the closing scene.
In some ways, Hellbender feels like it could’ve been a vastly shorter film, and – who knows? – perhaps it began life in that way. It ends up being spread out over more time than was possibly necessary, but an argument could also be made that telling this story any other way might’ve required a bigger budget and a fuller cast … two elements which would’ve produced a vastly different experience. Still, bits and pieces throughout feel like they were created more to expand only on visual ideas instead of organically serving its sharp mother/daughter plotline; as such, some montage vignettes play out more like afterthoughts by editor (John) Adams instead of deliberate planning by him and his cowriters. Director David Lynch rather famously bogged down the action of his TV universe of Twin Peaks doing much of the same; what he found stylistically communicative audiences deemed confusing if not occasionally outright distracting. This is not to say Hellbender isn’t pretty – it sometimes looks like a million bucks – but rather there’s a bit of random excess that could be trimmed.
Thankfully, the cast is small – nepotism rules! (I kid, I kid) – and not a great deal of range is required of anyone. Poser is a bit bland in the first half, mostly making great use of her stated good intentions to keep her daughter safe if not somewhat dumb about the true nature of their shared heritage; but she gets better in the second half when she’s given vastly more to both process and respond to. Some might even begin to suspect her motivations all along were a bit more nefariousness until she’s finds herself cornered by the huge error of her ways; whether she’s owed sympathy or crucifixion could be a great talking point for those mulling over what to make of her dire circumstances. Zelda Adams is quite good consistently as she handles both her character’s naivety and her slowly emerging self-awareness in just the way a young skull full of mush might. There’s a bit of clunkiness around her loss of innocence – the screaming bits were a bit too theatrical – but there’s no denying the delight of her epiphany in learning she’s a veritable monster-in-waiting. If her destiny is truly right around the corner, then Izzy might just be owed a screen follow-up that’s hinted at in the closing scene.
In some ways, Hellbender feels like it could’ve been a vastly shorter film, and – who knows? – perhaps it began life in that way. It ends up being spread out over more time than was possibly necessary, but an argument could also be made that telling this story any other way might’ve required a bigger budget and a fuller cast … two elements which would’ve produced a vastly different experience. Still, bits and pieces throughout feel like they were created more to expand only on visual ideas instead of organically serving its sharp mother/daughter plotline; as such, some montage vignettes play out more like afterthoughts by editor (John) Adams instead of deliberate planning by him and his cowriters. Director David Lynch rather famously bogged down the action of his TV universe of Twin Peaks doing much of the same; what he found stylistically communicative audiences deemed confusing if not occasionally outright distracting. This is not to say Hellbender isn’t pretty – it sometimes looks like a million bucks – but rather there’s a bit of random excess that could be trimmed.
Hellbender (2021) was produced by Wonder Wheel Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still contend that the film both looks and sounds impressive from start-to-finish: there were a few sequences wherein audio sounded a bit muddled – miking issues? – but nothing distracted from the resulting wizardry in any substantial way. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is Arrow, and they never disappoint. There’s a good handful of associated fare – music videos, a visual essay, behind-the-scenes, trailers, etc. – but the best is probably the family’s commentary track. It’s wonderfully lively: though it may not reveal the kind of filmmaking mechanics other tracks I’ve listened to have, it was still rather wholesome being given a backstage pass by the band itself. Very fun.
(Also: Arrow’s promotional materials indicate that the purchase includes a collector’s booklet. As I’m only provided an industry copy of the disc itself, I cannot speak to the quality or efficacy of those materials. In those cases, I always caution “Buyer beware.”)
Recommended.
Hellbender (2021) likely won’t fit everyone’s definition of Horror and/or Folk Horror – as it’s categorized on IMDB.com – but rest assured it heavily dabbles in both maybe even to the point of absurdity. (Realistically, how long can a human being exist on eating just twigs and berries?) Setting aside those distractions, the film delivers a very solid foundation around which sequels and/or prequels could follow; but future installments might benefit commercially by dialing back some of the pretentious arthouse tendencies of splashy inserts (with questionable meaning) and greater focus on specificity. While fans are forgiving of things like narrative bloat and highbrow visuals, they still prefer knowing exactly what’s going on when, where, and why. Such peculiarities might make Hellbender different, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Hellbender (2021) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
(Also: Arrow’s promotional materials indicate that the purchase includes a collector’s booklet. As I’m only provided an industry copy of the disc itself, I cannot speak to the quality or efficacy of those materials. In those cases, I always caution “Buyer beware.”)
Recommended.
Hellbender (2021) likely won’t fit everyone’s definition of Horror and/or Folk Horror – as it’s categorized on IMDB.com – but rest assured it heavily dabbles in both maybe even to the point of absurdity. (Realistically, how long can a human being exist on eating just twigs and berries?) Setting aside those distractions, the film delivers a very solid foundation around which sequels and/or prequels could follow; but future installments might benefit commercially by dialing back some of the pretentious arthouse tendencies of splashy inserts (with questionable meaning) and greater focus on specificity. While fans are forgiving of things like narrative bloat and highbrow visuals, they still prefer knowing exactly what’s going on when, where, and why. Such peculiarities might make Hellbender different, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Hellbender (2021) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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