Hellbender

Play trailer

1:53

Hellbender

2021

1h 26m

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

66 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

A teen and her mother live simply in a home in the woods, spending their time making metal music. A chance encounter with a fellow teen causes her to uncover a connection between her family and witchcraft, which causes a rift with her mother.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Hellbender stirs a boiling cauldron of adolescent angst, serving up a coming-of-age story with dark horror overtones.

Read Critics Reviews

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

A wicked little movie -- with a lot of good music, too.

Mar 12, 2022

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

Mad and interesting stuff...it's a coming-of-age story on the one hand and a feminist parable, but it's all that and so much else.

Mar 9, 2022

Full Review

Lena Wilson

New York Times

Some keen editing by John Adams and special effects by Trey Lindsay elevate this into formidable genre fare, with psychedelic sequences that are remarkably polished.

Feb 24, 2022

Full Review

Bee Delores

B-Sides & Badlands

The Adams Family unravel a delectable and devilish yarn; it’s a witchy punk-rock acid trip with some of the most potent, ghastly, and frantic imagery you’ll find this year.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 11, 2024

Full Review

Hector A. Gonzalez

Loud and Clear Reviews

Hellbender (or H6LLB6ND6R) uses DIY horror aesthetics to deliver a hallucinogenic and bloody entertaining mother/daughter story revolving around witchcraft.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 10, 2024

Full Review

Nadine Whitney

The Curb

Hellbender is a wicked and thrilling horror film that also canvasses questions about identity and destiny.

Sep 6, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Dan S

Hellbender is a slow-burning, atmospheric tale with a unique voice. It doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore but instead builds dread through mood and metaphor. A rough gem of indie horror—raw, imaginative, and quietly powerful.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

Full Review

Minna S

I was spellbound and mezmerised. A banger soundtrack, a wonderfully woven story and brilliant actors created an experience to remember. Lovely wicked witches

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

Full Review

Tom T

A true mother-daughter bond can only be formed after you take turns vomiting blood into each others faces. Look it up.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/18/24

Full Review

Emilliano Jr S

It has a good start for a promising horror but failed to hold the excitement at the end.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/28/24

Full Review

Dave C

It might appear small scale, but that isn’t the feel of the cinematography, the surrealist montages used, or the energy committed to the performances. Everything about these feeds the suspense, helped even more by having a limited cast (our attentions are focused on fewer characters, so there’s no dilution of intensity or story development), the claustrophobic settings (even when out in the woods, the proximity of the tall trees make them feel imposing), and the awakening and subsequent evolution of Izzy’s latent powers As much as parenting, witchcraft and matriarchy are core themes of this family outfits’ latest indie horror, ego, coming-of-age, independence and the power of individuality, are all also explored as integral thematic constructs. These elements feel dynamic in a way that carries the story from start to finish with an elegance that belies the plot assumptions that have occurred along the way A thoroughly enjoyable, interesting, and creative horror that I am sure will gain cult status in due course

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/24

Full Review

Graham M

I'm unsurprised the actor's surname is, 'Poser'.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/18/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

John Adams

Director

Zelda Adams

Director

Toby Poser

Director

Zelda Adams

Izzy

Toby Poser

Mother

Lulu Adams

Amber

Martyrs Lane

89%

45%

Martyrs Lane

Watchlist

Father of Flies

80%

13%

Father of Flies

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Father of Flies

Madres

72%

41%

Madres

Watchlist

Double Walker

78%

40%

Double Walker

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Double Walker

There's Someone Inside Your House

47%

17%

There's Someone Inside Your House

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Hellbender: Trailer 1

1:53

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

A teen and her mother live simply in a home in the woods, spending their time making metal music. A chance encounter with a fellow teen causes her to uncover a connection between her family and witchcraft, which causes a rift with her mother.

Director: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
Producer: Toby Poser
Screenwriter: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, John Adams
Production Co: Wonder Wheel Productions
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2022
Runtime: 1h 26m

Most Popular at Home Now