Incantations of Endearment: A Review of HELLBENDER (2021)

Teenage Izzy and her Mom have a good relationship.  Sure, they live alone in an isolated house in the woods, and Mom tells Izzy to stay away from other people, but it’s because she is “sick.” Naturally, Izzy goes on a hike one day and befriends Amber, another teen who doesn’t ask nearly as many questions as she should. This is the familiar first act of “Hellbender,” but it quickly takes a detour to somewhere different and puts pedal to the metal. Literally.  Mom and Izzy play in a 2-person metal band.  

Mom (Toby Poster) brings Izzy (Zelda Adams) some CDs from town. Pray she doesn’t ask about Spotify.

How would a recluse like Izzy know about heavy metal?  Well, Mom goes into town and buys her CDs since she doesn’t have a phone.  Did I mention that we never learn Mom’s name?  Or that she keeps Izzy on a specific diet of plants from the surrounding woods that she mixes with her own blood?  But we’re not just dealing with a run-of-the-mill witchcraft story here.  Even their home isn't a hoarder shack, but rather a nice semi-modern house on a hill.  It’s all intended to throw you off as the film goes deeper into its own definitions of a “hellbender.”

It’s shocking, but not surprising when “Hellbender” enters what Maria Bamford would call a “red flag factory.”  The truth about Mom and Izzy comes to light sooner than you think, at which point the film opens up into a mother-daughter story of mutual discovery.  I don’t want to spoil anything, but take away the horror elements, and it comes close to being what audiences 20-plus years ago would call a “chick flick,” but in a good way.  Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of gore and a surprising, but welcome amount of body horror.  You can see the seams in a few of the digital effects, but for the most part, get ready to gasp.

Mom (Toby Poser) has seen “Practical Magic” one too many times.

Of course, it helps that Mom and Izzy are played by real life-mother-and daughter Toby Poser and Zelda Adams, respectively.  They wrote, directed, and co-starred with John Adams, husband to Toby and father to Zelda (as well as Lulu Adams who plays Amber). The Adams family made a splash with 2019’s “The Deeper You Dig,” another low-budget but ambitious horror film, but “Hellbender” shows some major growth.  We’re barely into 2022, but “Hellbender” could land on several year-end top 10 lists.

“Hellbender” is available to stream on Shudder on February 24th.  

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