Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Hellbender

Play trailer 1:53 Poster for Hellbender 2021 1h 26m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 57% 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 Stream Now

Where to Watch

Hellbender

Hellbender

What to Know

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) 03/12/2022
A wicked little movie -- with a lot of good music, too. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Kermode & Mayo's Film Review 03/09/2022
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. Go to Full Review
Lena Wilson New York Times 02/24/2022
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. Go to Full Review
Bee Delores B-Sides & Badlands 07/11/2024
3.5/5
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. Go to Full Review
Hector A. Gonzalez Loud and Clear Reviews 02/10/2024
3.5/5
Hellbender (or H6LLB6ND6R) uses DIY horror aesthetics to deliver a hallucinogenic and bloody entertaining mother/daughter story revolving around witchcraft. Go to Full Review
Nadine Whitney The Curb 09/06/2023
Hellbender is a wicked and thrilling horror film that also canvasses questions about identity and destiny. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Dimitri R @DmitryR 10h honestly idk why it has so bad reviews, I think the movie is very cool: the idea exploration, the writing is fine, the visual effects are pretty good, and set pieces are REALLY good imo. I'm watching this the second time. it's not _really_ a horror, you won't be spooked or tense constantly, it's more of an idea exploration See more Jerry G @JerryFan10 3d I can't believe this movie is rated Fresh. it's awful. I've watched a few of their movies and they're frightneningly amateurish, yet seem to rate well on RT. I'm not sure how they are getting these high RT scores. Must be bots or something? Terrible acting. Awful plot. I'm curioushow they are pulling this off. See more Richard W @RT65767935 Jul 14 Very good horror movie ,acting ,storyline ,,,,etc bad audience reviews are probably from people who dont like horror movies See more Sam p @laniakea Feb 12 Familiar Rituals Wearing Thin. Hellbender has its creepy moments, but never commits to being truly unsettling. The Adams family delivers their trademark indie horror. Witchy rituals, isolated settings, DIY punk energy but it's feeling increasingly formulaic. Watching the same small cast cycle through similar occult themes keeps you aware you're watching a movie rather than being pulled into one. Where's the moment that makes you hide behind your fingers? It's not here. Everything telegraphs itself too clearly. There's atmosphere and some eerie sequences. But "kind of creepy" doesn't cut it when horror needs to genuinely unsettle. The ritualistic witchcraft that felt fresh earlier now feels like autopilot. Not terrible. The Adams family has vision. But this feels like spinning wheels in familiar territory rather than pushing into anything genuinely frightening. Watchable, but forgettable. See more Dan S @DanSam Dec 15 Set to the tone of rockin' soundtrack, this film utilizes some very creative editing, visual effects and unique story beats. It looks and sounds way better than most bigger budget films. See more Miguel N @Migueln Nov 22 The beginning of this film was off to a slow start and the visual effects could have been a bit better but I’m glad I stayed for the plot. The actresses who play both mother and daughter play great in their roles and the story unfolds well. Seems a bit low budget but I’d recommend a watch for sure. See more Read all reviews
Hellbender

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
Martyrs Lane 90% 46% Martyrs Lane Watchlist Father of Flies 80% 13% Father of Flies Watchlist TRAILER for Father of Flies Madres 72% 38% Madres Watchlist Double Walker 70% 40% Double Walker Watchlist TRAILER for Double Walker There's Someone Inside Your House 47% 20% There's Someone Inside Your House Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings