Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, Hellbender, an “Adams Family” production, provides a surprisingly nuanced story with well-developed characters. The coming-of-age film centers on Izzy, an isolated teenager played by Zelda Adams, and her mother, played by Toby Poser. As Izzy begins to rebel, much like any teenager, she learns about herself and her family. What makes it horror? Plenty of occult happenings and history, as well as a hefty serving of blood.
The opening scene is creepy and effective, showing a mysterious hanging ceremony in the woods. We don’t know who is hanged or why, and there is a definite chill as we watch the act being carried out by a group of unaffected women.
The scene immediately following the intense opening struck me as a bit cheesy, but it played into the rest of the movie well. We jump from the somber hanging to band practice consisting solely of Izzy and her mother. Their duo plays punk rock music in heavy makeup, seemingly just for kicks because Izzy has an immune disease and is forbidden to go into town or meet people. It’s a strange setup, but the motif of their heavy music eventually pays off. Along with trippy visuals, scenes of action, and more band practice, the peculiarity of a mother-daughter punk duo gradually becomes easier to swallow.
Part of what makes their band, the Hellbenders, more acceptable are the circumstances. Izzy’s mother wants the best for her and genuinely works to provide it. She amuses her daughter, supplies her with tools for hobbies, and strives for a communicative relationship. However, a mother’s best intentions can often result in great harm, as we’ve seen in other horror media such as Stephen King’s Carrie. In fact, the mother in Hellbender reminds me of a more sympathetic Margaret White. As opposed to a religious zealot who stops at nothing to protect her daughter from the outside world, Izzy’s mother is a different sort of zealot with dogged determination to protect her daughter. Although her mother doesn’t physically abuse Izzy, she still makes questionable parenting choices, such as isolating Izzy and lying to her. Another difference between the two parents is that while they both eventually reveal their secrets to their daughters, Izzy’s mother continues to nurture her daughter and help her.
Also mirroring Carrie is the main character’s journey of self-discovery. It is a coming-of-age story, after all. We focus on both teenagers at a significant turning point in their lives, but we must look at the past to understand the characters’ progression. In Hellbender, the distant past is important. There’s generational trauma, passed from mother to daughter, an endless cycle of pain and regrowth.
The film raises questions about parenting, power, fear, and fate. What ties these themes together is the battle of good and evil. Since the focus is on Izzy and her mother, our instinct is to divide them into protagonist and antagonist. From the beginning, Izzy is posed as the protagonist, being trapped on her family property and suffering from chronic illness. Although we want to cheer for her, as the film progresses, the dynamic between her and her mother becomes complicated, shifting the scales of good and evil and ultimately showing that neither character can be so easily boxed. The skillfully written development of the women was refreshing.
Through exciting visuals, a twisting plot, and nuanced characters, Hellbender takes the viewer on a wild ride. Although I saw some hints of Carrie in it, the film is thoroughly original. I recommend catching it when it premieres on Shudder this Thursday, February 24, 2022.