16-year-old Izzy leads an isolated life on a lonely mountaintop. All she’s learned is from her protective mom and the wilderness that swallows them. Izzy dreams of a live gig, but her mother thinks she’s too sick and mustn’t be around others. Questioning her illness and starved for companionship, Izzy sneaks down the mountain where she befriends brazen Amber. Izzy is in heaven until a cruel drinking game with a live worm unleashes a new kind of hunger. Hellbender, which had its world premiere at the 25th Fantasia International Film Festival in August 2021, is the sixth feature film written and directed by the filmmaking Adams family, Toby Poser, John Adams, and their daughter Zelda Adams (The Deeper You Dig, Halfway to Zen, The Shoot). Zelda stars in the film, along with her mother and sister Lulu, and took home the Best Actress award at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
