Hellbender Blu-ray presents a ferocious blend of folk horror, coming-of-age drama, and occult mythology from The Adams Family, the filmmakers behind The Deeper You Dig and Where the Devil Roams. Rooted in adolescent rage, inherited power, and isolation, the film channels raw emotion into a fiercely original witchcraft narrative driven by music, blood, and identity.
 
Teenager Izzy has grown up secluded in the woods with her mother, told that a rare immune disorder makes contact with the outside world dangerous. When she befriends a local girl and begins testing the boundaries of her supposed illness, Izzy’s reality starts to fracture. After a reckless teenage dare involving a live worm, she develops an uncontrollable hunger and discovers she belongs to a lineage of supernatural beings known as hellbenders—creatures of immense power fueled by instinct, blood, and rebellion.
 
As Izzy’s awakening accelerates, Hellbender becomes a primal exploration of inherited trauma, female autonomy, and the terrifying exhilaration of self-discovery. Shot with naturalistic beauty and punctuated by striking practical and digital effects, the film is elevated by a blistering punk-metal soundtrack performed by the family’s own band, H6LLB6ND6R.
 
Starring real-life mother and daughter Toby Poser and Zelda Adams, and created entirely by the Adams family collective, Hellbender stands as a singular vision of modern independent horror. This limited edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video includes extensive special features that delve into the film’s themes, production, music, and visual effects.
 
directed by: John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams
starring: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams, John Adams
2021 / 83 min