I’ve known people from all walks of life. Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, and yes, even Pagan. Wiccans have their beliefs and systems like the Christians do. They have the same kind of convictions. However, the difference comes in the beliefs themselves. A lot of those beliefs come from nature. For example: we are born of nature, and will return to nature, along with the idea that all things have a spirit and are connected, which brings us to Hellbender.

Hellbender is a twist on the various mythos surrounding witches and the beliefs they carry. We start Hellbender with hangings and executions. When the hanging fails, the shooting starts. Again, they fail, and the witch escapes, so to speak. Fast forward some several hundred years - we see a teenage girl, Izzy, and her mother, playing music. They live in isolation in the middle of the woods in the mountains quite a way from town and civilization. All we know is that Izzy thinks she has a disease and can’t be near people. When she goes wandering through the woods, she comes across another girl at a pool, and this is where things start to change. At a certain point in the relationship, Izzy and her new found friend have a party of sorts with some other friends. During this little get together, Izzy ends up ingesting a worm, and strange things start to happen. What we see is the twist I mentioned early: Izzy and her mom are what they refer to as Hellbenders and draw power from living creatures when they eat them. Obviously, ultimate power comes from eating people. So, when Izzy eats the worm, she starts to experience strange things and feelings.

The concept of a Hellbender I found to be somewhat intriguing. Beings like the mother and daughter and the revelation of how their powers work come up somewhat late in the movie, there was plenty of room to have expanded. Are their abilities limited to just magic? What else can they do outside of what is shown? How strong can these Hellbenders end up being? We know limited immortality and flying are some of the talents they have. What else is capable from an ability standpoint?

Which brings me to the downside of Hellbender. I enjoyed the movie in its entirety. However, the portions I wasn’t happy with were the questions that were raised previously. I would have liked to have seen more of what a Hellbender can do, see more of what kind of threat they really are, and find out more on why they feel the need to live in seclusion. In no way am I saying it kills the movie. I just would have liked more questions answered and was left wanting to know more about them outside of what little bit was revealed. Maybe it was intentional to set up a possible sequel? I don’t know for sure. The fact that it was partially left wide open from multiple standpoints left me asking questions and feeling like it was a little incomplete.

Knowing that Izzy and her mother had a multitude of abilities depending on what was eaten to gain strength made it feel a little lacking when so little ability was shown. The primary use of traditional effects with very little CGI made it a bit more down to earth than big budget Hollywood counterparts of recent years. I enjoyed the movie and would watch it again to see if I missed something. Maybe I missed the answers to some of my questions in the first viewing. How many times have you watched a movie a second or even third time to find things that cause the story to make more sense? I am hoping that is the case here. There is so much to like and be curious about - the questions left unanswered need some following up on.

Rorschach Rating:

Mental Health Moment: Change can bring about many feelings and internal struggles. In Hellbender, we see Izzy struggle with her newfound abilities and strength while in isolation. You may have just moved. Maybe you got a new job. Your relationship is changing or ending. Just about any change can cause stress for some and anxiety for others. How you choose to deal with those changes and situations is what makes you who you are. Sure, you could have stayed with a person but was it good for your mental health and wellbeing? Was the job at which you may have been making more money worth the stress or is the new lower paying job a better fit due to less stress? Changes and the decisions that come with them can be terrifying, but those decisions can make you stronger and better.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Hellbender is property of Yellow Veil Pictures. We do not own nor claim any rights.

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