Hellbender

Play trailer

1:53

Hellbender

2021

1h 26m

Horror

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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.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

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

Mar 12, 2022

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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

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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

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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

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Nadine Whitney

The Curb

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

Sep 6, 2023

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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

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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

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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

Ricardo d

O que tem de melhor neste filme é a trilha sonora. Temos uma espinha de roteiro interessante mas que perde força ao longo do filme. Tive que parar algumas vezes para finalizar o filme de tão monótono e o final...bem.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/27/24

Full Review

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John Adams

Director

Zelda Adams

Director

Toby Poser

Director

Zelda Adams

Izzy

Toby Poser

Mother

Lulu Adams

Amber

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Hellbender: Trailer 1

1:53

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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

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