Hellbender

Hellbender is a micro budget horror film that is the very definition of a mixed bag, and most of this stems from the fact that the filmmakers reached far beyond what their budget permitted.

The performances range from great to terrible. The cinematography ranges from competent to atrocious. The editing ranges from effective to irritating. The dialogue ranges from emotionally resonant to laughably stupid. And, the visual effects range from extremely convincing to embarrassingly unconvincing.

Still, what keeps this movie elevated above its low-budget flaws is its story. It's tragic and it's executed in a way that I haven't seen before. And that alone is something worth praising from the rooftops.

Aside from some character motivations that were too muddled and confusing, I loved the two lead characters and how they were portrayed. This is a coming-of-age story that concludes in the exact opposite way that one would traditionally expect: with every parent's worst nightmare.

There is a great deal about Hellbender that does not work, but there is just a bit more that does. And the climactic final scene legitimately gave me chills.

I love supporting tiny indie films. Go watch it if you can.

This is not a classic horror movie. I would describe it as "Coming of age/indie/art horror". If you want to have some mindless fun, people get killed by murderers or evil spirits, stay away. This is a classy, stylish movie, depicting the nature of evil, at least, some kind of supernatural evil. The actors are nearly excellent, natural performances, clever script, great cinematography and keep in mind that this is a low budget movie.

The ending is kinda brilliant and lazy simultaneously, i mean, i liked it, there is no ambiguity, everything is clear, however, it's like they finished the movie abruptly because they run out of money. Still it's brilliant though.

I like this movie very much. 7.2/10. But i think it's gonna be a polarizing movie. If you know what to expect, you will like it too.

An indie movie made by a family, which held my interest throughout. Well shot at some places, not so much at others, but overall it looks much better than most small production horror movies you may come across. This was not the amateur hour I've come to expect from similar films. Surprisingly enough, the acting was probably the best part of it. Also enjoyed the music, which was kinda edgy, but just enough. Added a lot of character to the film.

Don't expect a great movie, or even a good one, but it certainly exceeded my expectations and was good for what it was.

Well this was certainly something else.

I was not familiar with the 2021 horror movie "Hellbender" from writers John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser before now in 2022, as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it. So I wasn't sure what I was in for here, and thus I had no expectations.

What drew me in to watch "Hellbender" was the fact that the movie had a nice title and also the fact that it was a horror movie that I hadn't yet seen.

And color me impressed. While "Hellbender" certainly is not a movie that will be likely to please everyone in the audience, then I must say that I was genuinely entertained by the movie. I like the bizarre atmosphere and strange storyline that drew the movie, and it was certainly a welcomed step away from the mainstream horror movies.

While "Hellbender" is labeled as a horror movie, this is not the type of horror that will scare you or is throwing one jump scare at you again and again, nay, it is a more deep and profound type of horror. You know, where the horror is brooding underneath the surface, hinting at something grander and way more malign than we ever get to experience in the movie. And it worked, because directors John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser brought the movie to life in a very fulfilling and enjoyable manner, where we as the audience are taken along for a ride of the occult, obscure, bizarre and disturbing.

There is not a huge cast ensemble in "Hellbender", but the actresses and actors in the movie were so phenomenally well-cast for their roles and characters, and put on great performances in bringing the characters and story to life on the screen. Especially Zelda Adams (playing Izzy) and Toby Poser (playing Mother) were exceptionally great in the leading roles.

Visually then "Hellbender" is not your typical horror movie. There is not an abundance of special effects and CGI in this movie, but the special effects are there, and it is all about presentation and getting it to showcase what it needs to do. And the special effects certainly do that in "Hellbender". And that is definitely a thing that works well in favor of the movie.

While "Hellbender" is not a crowd-pleaser, this is a movie that will find appeal with some viewers and disdain with others. But if you enjoy supernatural horror that is story-driven and brooding in atmosphere, then you most certainly should give "Hellbender" a chance.

My rating of "Hellbender" lands on a six out of ten stars.

This movie had such a great setup. I was completely drawn in and invested in the lead character. The problem was that it felt like between the first few scenes and the ending, the writer was struggling for ideas. The story doesn't really move along. Then, when the final act begins, we jump ahead to a conclusion that didn't really get to develop. It feels more like a left turn; even though we are given hints that this is how it will turn out, the story doesn't logically connect the dots from here to there. I liked so much about this movie, with one standout being the awesome choice of songs. But in the end, the story let me down.