Arrow Video: Hellbender (2022) - Reviewed

Images courtesy of Arrow Video

Before the release of the Adams Family filmmaking group’s 2022 Shudder streaming original film Hellbender reviewed by Andrea Riley here, the homegrown family unit consisting of director/husband John Adams, co-director/wife Toby Poser and often co-starring their children Zelda and Lulu Adams joined forces with Arrow Video for a special edition release of their prior films The Hatred and The Deeper You Dig.  Often entrenched in Southern Gothic horror or elements of the occult made on meager budgets usually involving friends or family, they’re a bona fide mom-and-pop horror moviemaking operation with a unique slant and woodsy folk-horror aura reminiscent of quickie master Ben Wheatley.  Modestly sized and paced, they’ve made their presence known and its no surprise the boutique releasing label Arrow Video wanted to work with them again.

 
Originally a streaming title before making the blu-ray disc debut via Arrow Video, the sixth feature film of the Adams Family Hellbender again prominently stars Toby Poser and her daughter Zelda as Izzy.  A teenager living isolated within the woods with her mother, the lone duo in hiding over a ‘rare immune disorder’ while away their time playing punk rock music in a band called H6LLB6ND6R (the Adams Family’s band also) no one but themselves gets to enjoy.  Cooped up and desperate for some kind of social interaction, Izzy wanders off and crosses paths with a local teen named Amber (sister Lulu Adams) who introduces her to some of her friends.  However following an initiation involving eating a live worm, an inhuman hunger for living things awakens within her and she soon discovers she’s part of a lineage of ‘hellbenders’ or supernatural beings with otherworldly metaphysical powers.

 
A hallucinogenic coming-of-age Southern gothic horror flick in continuation with the Adams Family’s penchant for mixing horror and heart, Hellbenders comes to Arrow Video blu-ray disc for the first time housing a wealth of plentiful extras including but not limited to four original music videos for the family band, a short film directed by Zelda Adams, family audio commentary, two video essays and an illustrated collector’s booklet.  Though only mixed in 2.0 stereo, presented here in lossless uncompressed form, the presentation is flawless and for physical media collectors longing for the streaming title to hit home video it is a most welcome addition to any horror fan’s film library.  Most curious to see what the Adams Family is cooking up next!

--Andrew Kotwicki