When I see a film about witches mixed with supernatural horror in the mountainous woods of some Northeastern region, I expect a blood-soaked horror movie with split-second images of all sorts of blood-soaked, ghostly manifestations. 1998's relatively dull "The Eternal" starring Christopher Walken and the late Jason Miller in a story about a Druid witch comes to mind. Of course, there's "The Blair Witch Project" which didn't show a witch at all. "Hellbender" has plenty of blood-soaked imagery and blood pouring out of mouths and pierced fingers. If that was all there was to the film, I wouldn't recommend it yet its human story of a mother and her daughter living in seclusion in the mountains gives it unexpected humanity. And because of that, the horror really gives you a jolt.
The frail, pale-looking Zelda Adams plays Izzy, the home-schooled daughter of her mother (Toby Poser) who looks like those women in Santa Fe, New Mexico who let their gray hairs show just to be natural. Both mother and daughter are vegetarians and they eat huckleberries and twigs and assorted food items they find on their nature walks. They also have their own kick-ass punk band called "Hellbender" with Izzy on drums though nobody in this remote area has been privy to hearing them play. Nothing too abnormal here until we discover that Izzy is not allowed near other people because she is "sick." Truth is Mother is a protective 147-year-old witch and her daughter Izzy might end up being far more powerful than her mom. Izzy does not know she is a witch and somehow, when she ventures off the beaten path to meet some new kids her age and is pushed into consuming a tequila shot with an earthworm in it, the earth will start to shake and people might just die.
"Hellbender" has probably too many of those blood-soaked montages with split-second cuts but that would be its only real fault. I was quite happily entranced by "Hellbender" and the performances by Zelda Adams and Toby Poser really form the strong, familial bond between mother and daughter that may split apart. Only this is clearly no regular family drama with a wicked past shown in the powerful opening that includes a hanging. You know something is afoot when mother and daughter frolic in the snow and spit a copious amount of blood in each other's faces! And Izzy's "Happy Place" is quite mind-blowing to say the least and could give you the heebie jeebies for days.
"Hellbender" is a family affair with Zelda, Toby and John Adams (Zelda's dad and Toby's husband who has a cameo) serving as the unique writers-directors team and I'd love to see them tackle another horror piece with a family drama-of-sorts serving as its centerpiece. The most impressive and haunting performance is by Zelda, the kind of innocent looking girl you might not want to run into in the woods (think of the twins in "The Shining" and you might get an idea of how haunting and piercing a presence she is). Though Mother's past history could've used some elaboration, I overall enjoyed "Hellbender" as a captivating new horror piece that should enthrall fans of the genre, and those who love witches (real witches might get offended but, oh well). Still, there are some icky moments that will make you want to turn away.
