Hellbender Review (2022) Worth Watching?

It's about a young woman called Izzy who is told by her mother she can’t interact with others due to a mysterious illness but discovers this may not be the whole truth after an unpleasant drinking game.

Hellbender was directed by Toby Poser, John Adams and Zelda Adams; and stars Zelda Adams, Lulu Adams and Toby Poser.

Growing up is hell

The talented Adams family are at it again, this time proving they can do horror too. First of all, you can expect a great score in Hellbender as Izzy and her mother, played by real life mother and daughter Zelda Adams and Toby Poser, have formed a rock band so there’s many joyful scenes of them performing even though it’s only for the two of them. The difference between the happy Izzy that performs in the band and the trapped Izzy that stares into the mirror in her dark room longing to go into town is stark and interesting and shows the impressive range of Zelda Adams. The background score outside their performances sometimes gets a little grating but it definitely helps put you on edge.

The film’s runtime is fairly short but it sure does pack in a lot, with plenty of character growth, and twists and turns leading to a breathtakingly scary ending. There’s also no holding back when it comes to a few gross-out moments. The tight focus on Izzy and her mother means the short runtime is fine but does make the few other characters in the movie seem a little one dimensional. Visually the film is stunning as the small, minimalist house of the main characters, where filming is kept tight to the actors to give a claustrophobic feel that represents Izzy’s confinement, is juxtaposed with a sprawling woodland behind it. The woodland almost becomes a character in itself as its intrinsically linked to the fantasy element of the film, and comes to represent both the limited freedom Izzy has, and her gateway to a wider world.