HELLBENDER (2021) [Fantasia 2021]
If comedy can be broken down into “tragedy + time”, then perhaps a similar equation for cult films would be “awkwardness + charm + time”. Boutique Blu-ray companies like Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow Video, Severin, and others have catalogues filled with movies rife with botched executions in concept, script, and production. But, with time, they’ve become beloved and those flaws are now features. People acknowledge the flubs, but look past to find the gems hidden within.
Maybe, then, HELLBENDER will become a cult film that is revered by genre nerds in a decade or two. If Bill Rebane, Al Adamson, and more can receive extensive boxed sets for their slightly janky oeuvres, then it’s possible that the work of Toby Poser, John Adams, and Zelda Adams will receive similar acclaim one day.
In fairness, many people currently enjoy the work that this close-knit family has been putting out. THE DEEPER YOU DIG was praised by multiple critics and featured at many festivals. Similarly, HELLBENDER has received raves and already been picked up to stream on Shudder. So their filmography may not really need a reappraisal if it’s already being embraced by a lot of folks. But those two titles I have seen by this family unit of multi-hyphenated artists were not my bag, and the main issue with both of these movies is the disparity between vision and execution.
Toby Poser and John Adams have been making movies with their daughters Lulu Adams and Zelda Adams for about ten years. The scrappy clan obtains financing for their small budget indie horrors and basically wear all of the hats on the production. With only a few collaborators for some tasks (mostly actors and then someone like Trey Lindsay who did the visual effects for HELLBENDER), they handle all of the writing, directing, producing, scoring, editing, designing, acting, and cinematography. They are dedicated to working together and manifesting their visions together, a mix of similar sensibilities that leads to stories about mothers and daughters mixed in with familiar (but skewed) horror tropes. With that much dedication and collaboration, no one can ever accuse this troupe of not putting their all into each project; no matter the many flaws that end up on screen, it is clear that everyone involved is fully committed to making these pictures.
Teenage Izzy (Zelda Adams) and her mother (Poser) live in seclusion in a large house in a rural area. Izzy believes she has an autoimmune disorder which means that she can’t be around other people, and so she spends her time with her mom, working on music together for their two-piece band, H6LLB6ND6R, or walking around the woods, contemplating a life amongst others. Izzy’s mom worries about her maturing daughter, a concern that manifests through various arcane rituals involving magic to keep an eye on the girl or to dispel those that would approach her. When the young woman happens upon Amber (Lulu Adams), it sets off a chain of events that opens Izzy’s eyes to the truth of who, and what she is…and why her mom has been trying to keep her apart from the rest of the world for so long.
HELLBENDER has multiple strong aspects that begin with the concept. The filmmakers smartly decide to not keep the audience in the dark for long about the ruse that the mother uses to isolate her daughter; it’s clear that it’s not a disease (not a conventional one, anyways) and the various bits of spellcasting avoid the unnecessary slog to reveal the bigger mythos at play. The story is cleverly infused with that generational tug of war where parents try to make up for the mistakes they made growing up by controlling their children, while the children inevitably exist to replace their parents and start the cycle anew. That is a strong combination of plot expediency and rich thematic work. There are also some cool f/x employed, particularly a locked door that produces its key via gnarly biological system and an organic, cavernous abattoir that is incredibly creative and effectively creepy.
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of other good onscreen in HELLBENDER. Some of the cinematography of the forestry and a few of the dream sequences are well composed…but more often than not it’s bland or awkward. There’s no reason to punish the filmmakers for their ambitions (it’s always better to aim high and fall short than play it safe), but there seems to be a severe lack of awareness of limitations. Whether its budgetary restraints, CG talents, or other resources, one can clearly know how Poser, Adams, and Adams wanted scenes to play out and appear on screen—but the result ends up looking stilted, cheap, or like clichéd album art from a goth nü-metal band. This is true of many of the performances as well. Poser is an adequate actor, but almost all of the supporting players are not very good delivering tin-eared dialogue in flat, forced ways that shatter whatever sort of “real” world HELLBENDER is trying to build.
Having limits, or not having a massive budget or polished cast, doesn’t immediately make a movie bad. Some of the best genre entries excelled because they recognized their limitations and figured out how to operate within them. Necessity is the mother of invention, even on a film set.
HELLBENDER didn’t have to play it safe and avoid those poorly made sequences; but the filmmakers could have figured out other ways to convey the same emotions and story beats without spookypasta editing or meandering montages filled with half-baked computer effects. The droning music (also written and performed by the family) doesn’t help matters, either.
There isn’t really a sense of change in mood; there is a constant state of gloom that doesn’t permeate the film with dread but mostly with teenage angst and parental anxiety. The themes come to a head in an ending that works better than the rest of HELLBENDER (always stick the landing, kids) which also has more accomplished visuals and tonal command. But it’s a long dirge to get to that point with poor characterization and unexciting visuals to prod the journey along.
There is a lot of charm in this band of misfits that have their own visions and work together to make them a reality. That “let’s put on a show!” mentality combined with subject matter that is usually tied to dynamics that arise within families is deserving of praise and support. Toby Poser, John Adams, Zelda Adams, Lulu Adams, and others show a lot of promise and those moments of genuine innovation shine brightly in HELLBENDER. But perhaps they shine so bright because too much of the film around it is awkwardly held together by uninspired camerawork, rough effects, tired editing, and leaden acting. For those, like me, who aren’t already onboard with this family’s work, perhaps in a few years’ time we shall be when we revisit the movies. We’ll see all of the bad decisions and inept execution, but are able to focus on those pockets of artistry. Until then, one can hope that this collective continues to refine their skills to work within their limitations and deliver a film that doesn’t require so many caveats to enjoy.