Few experiences are as universal as being an awkward teenager, with many of the best horror films detailing the uncomfortable growth that people are forced to go through as they depart childhood for the uncharted territory of ‘Young Adult.’ Countless movies attempt to portray this, but few are as quietly unsettling — and twistedly apt — as John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser’s Hellbender. This mystical, heavy-metal influenced Shudder film follows a mother and daughter, with the teenager having been kept sheltered and alone for the majority of her life.
Bonded by their love of creating metal music, the pair’s relationship begins to fracture as the child learns the reasons behind their lives of solitude… and the twisted powers that live within them both. Hellbender is a quiet cavalcade of emotions as audiences are treated to the worst experience ever: repression. Through its shocking violence and disquieting visuals, the film makes audiences understand the devastating feeling of learning that someone you trust is committed to holding you back from embracing your true self. And as the plot crescendoes into an utterly terrifying transformation for our main character, Hellbender shows how inspiring it feels to break through the restrictions others put on you, no matter how many things you have to kill to do so.
Wait, What’s a ‘Hellbender?’

Image via Wonder Wheel Productions

While the film devolves into monstrous familial conflict, Hellbender’s focus on the relationship between teen Izzy (Zelda Adams) and her mother (Toby Poser) is initially very endearing. Izzy has always lived alone with her mom in the forest; explained away by some obscure disease, the older woman (who is never named) keeps her child isolated, with the pair living a quiet, calm life punctuated only by the trippy metal music they create in their garage. Eventually, Izzy makes a friend in a young neighbor and learns that she’s not sick, she’s a titular ‘Hellbender’ — an ancient race of magical creatures that gain immense power from eating living things. This discovery sets off a spark of rebellion within the teenager as she realizes that the rules meant to “keep her safe” have only ever been to stifle an integral aspect of herself. This, paired with the sickening euphoria that she feels from ingesting small animals, makes Izzy develop a superiority complex, one that intertwines lethally with the fear that the world is as intent on suppressing her identity as her mother was. Viewers watch this evolution as the once-peaceful pair fall into surreal bloodshed, learning through Izzy’s jaw-dropping actions throughout the film how one parent’s bad decisions create a monster dangerous to all.

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While it thrives narratively, Hellbender’s story is conveyed almost completely through the shocking imagery it inserts throughout. These moments are shot in a relatively simple style, yet the way the film oscillates wildly between horrific scenes of a woman being hanged, to trippy music videos of heavy metal music, to casual conversations between mother and daughter makes it feel like an eerie rollercoaster audiences can’t help but grow invested in. This ingenious approach perfectly reflects Izzy’s journey; the hunger for companionship and questioning of her own life are resonant experiences that many viewers know well, with the film’s wild moments reflecting how volatile it can feel to go through this time as a child. Similarly, the scenes of heavy metal music represent the few moments Izzy feels truly free, with these scenes emphasizing to audiences the freedom this art allows and how desperate she is to feel like this all the time. It’s a unique kind of storytelling that viscerally communicates the anguish and sudden ecstasy this child’s life has become — which means viewers understand exactly why she becomes so distrustful of the world around her. Of course, most people won’t relate to or approve of the dark path of emancipation Izzy takes in the latter half of the film, but these shocking moments make viewers understand not only why Izzy becomes what she is by the end of the film, but Hellbender’s central theme: the utter horror of repression.
‘Hellbender’ Shows That There’s No Good Kind of Repression

Image via Shudder

Through its minimal cast and subtle acting, Hellbender cements viewers within Izzy’s experience throughout the film — which is what makes them understand her complete horror at discovering her entire life is a lie. Unlike movies that cover similar topics, the film is extremely compassionate with its parental figure; it’s clear that she really does love Izzy more than anything and, as the finale shows, she had many valid reasons not to reveal that they were shapeshifting monsters who crave human flesh! This is a perfect metaphor for parents who love their children but are terrified of what the world will think of them, inadvertently traumatizing them by focusing more on the fear of other people than teaching their kids to love themselves. It’s a different approach than audiences are used to, and it adds a massive amount of depth to Hellbender, making it clear that while Izzy is reasonably gutted at learning about these lies, this isn’t a black-and-white situation. It teaches why this kind of thinking can lead to parents hurting their children…and, unfortunately, lead those kids to hurt others.
Watching Izzy transform from a shy teen into an all-devouring monster is a bittersweet experience for viewers, as while her actions as the film goes on become more disturbing, there’s an odd catharsis in seeing her finally embrace all of herself. Through her heinous actions — from threatening her mother to abducting and trapping another girl to “snack on” — the film demonstrates the terrifying impact of repression on a child. Her mother’s reveal taught Izzy that there is truly nobody she can trust. Learning that the woman she always believed wholeheartedly lied makes Izzy question the world, with the only thing she knows is 100% true being the amazing feelings she gets from preying on animals and people. While a very dramatized version, it perfectly reflects the experience of children who are denied core parts of themselves, who grow up learning that those closest to them can’t be trusted and how gut-wrenching it feels to only be allowed certain aspects of your identity. This can not only lead to people clinging to the parts of themselves that were denied for so long, but developing an innate distrust in others, an unfortunate (yet extremely common) kind of growth whose brutal discomfort is made visual through Izzy’s journey throughout Hellbender. It showcases that repression is an inherently violent act that will only yield more violence, with Izzy becoming a chilling metaphor for every child forced to learn that their parents’ love isn’t unconditional.
‘Hellbender’ Is a Story About Heavy Metal, Blood, and Freedom

Though it excels in portraying its story of tortuous repression through magic and violence, that doesn’t mean Hellbender is perfect. The plot could have greatly benefited from some more special effects, and while the central mother and daughter characters offer gripping performances, the underdeveloped people that begin to surround them undercut the severity of this plot’s latter acts. It has its flaws, but they don’t hold Hellbender from making audiences understand its primary message on a guttural level: repression is hell. A unique version of torture for children forced to undergo it, with no amount of good will on the parents’ behalf, taking away from the pain of being shamed for a core part of your identity. Through its monstrous elements, the movie makes audiences remember the internal volatility of early maturity, and with its main character’s inheritance, it brings into gory detail the painful effects of learning you can’t trust those you love most. All of this — plus some legitimately great heavy metal music — makes Hellbender a monumental, eternally chilling metaphor for the pains of growing up.

Hellbender

Release Date

September 28, 2021

Runtime

83 Minutes

Director

John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

Writers

John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser