Shudder’s Hellbender is a family affair.
The independent horror film is entirely written, directed, produced, scored, and edited by the Adams family: mother Toby Poser, father John Adams, and daughter Zelda Adams. The three also star in the film, alongside daughter/sister Lulu Adams.
Hellbender tells the story of Izzy (Zelda Adams), a 16-year-old girl whose rare illness keeps her isolated with her mother (Toby Poser). Bored of the woods, Izzy tries to break free of her confines by befriending another girl (Lulu Adams). But a game in which she eats a live worm upends her new happiness. With a violent hunger awakening within her, Izzy must delve into her family’s dark past and uncover powerful secrets.