Available 09/16/2025 from Arrow Video
A young woman who has a band with her mother soon discovers that witchcraft is a family tradition.
A film by The Adams Family, written and directed by Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, and John Adams, this 2021 film shows the horror cinema genius that is The Adams Family, that family we see winning prize after prize at some of the biggest genre film festivals in the world, one group of creatives that shows talent is inherited but also nurtured by those close to you. Here, the family comes together to write about another family, one with some interesting witchcraft elements and who has knowledge beyond what one would expect. This family is basically only a mother and daughter with a long line of ladies that came before them. There is something in this story where the lead (the daughter) has a fantastically well-done arc that shows the writing and direction on point. The work here shows an understanding of family dynamics and of the outsider type of perspective on regular life. For fans of The Adams Family already know how strong their writing and direction is, for anyone else, Hellbender is an easy entry point into their work and their creative minds.
As is usually the case with Adams Family films, the cast here is also mainly composed of the family and a few other regulars. The top-billed cast here is composed of Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams, and John Adams. Zelda Adams plays the lead here, a teenager learning about her family’s past, the impact of the world of them, and her own strength through her mother but also through meeting people from the outside who look at her as the outsider. Her work feels natural, vulnerable at times, tough at others, giving her character a full spectrum of emotions as well as a bit of badassery. Joining her and being amazing as usual is Toby Poser playing her mother and doing so with a mystical element to it. Her performance is mesmerizing and calming, giving off powerful woman vibes and just the right touch of being motherly. The rest of the cast comes and goes faster but they all do quite decently to great, so it’s all good here.
As usual, the Adams here have more than one responsibility on the film. Zelda Adams and John Adams are credited with the cinematography which can only be described as rustic in the best of ways. The camera work here shows that the film is all about the leading ladies and nature, shot in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are there with them, learning about nature and her powers, about magic, and so much more. There is something in the simplicity of the images that tricks one into thinking this is easy filmmaking when in fact it’s careful, planned, and knowledgeable.
The film here is excellent, a proper showing of the Adams’ talent for storytelling and filmmaking. It’s great starting point for those new to their work and a great release for just about anyone looking to know they work better. The presentation here is solid with a great transfer and more than decent sound. The extras as so good that picking standouts is difficult. Arrow Video including a short film and music videos here is a fantastic move, the behind-the-scenes feature is fun, the new audio commentary is a great place to learn more and hear these creatives’ connection to one another, the video essay by Jen Handorf is interesting, and the visual effects feature is great too. Overall, a through and through solid release of a fantastic film.