Blank Text
I. The Punk Rock Heart of Horror Filmmaking
“To me, punk rock is the freedom to create, freedom to be successful, freedom to not be successful, freedom to be who you are. It’s freedom.” – Patti Smith
There’s a unique thrill in witnessing artists from diverse backgrounds venture into the horror genre and discover it as their true calling. From the socially conscious scares of Jordan Peele to the eerie artistry of Skottie Young, the cinematic chills of William Friedkin to the folkloric frights of T. Kingfisher, and the literary terrors of Colson Whitehead and S.A. Barnes, the world of horror welcomes creatives from every corner. Even the wonderfully weird Chuck Tingle has graced horror with his, shall we say, unique perspective. This diverse influx of talent highlights something fundamental about horror.
One compelling reason for this crossover appeal is horror’s inherently inclusive and DIY (Do It Yourself) spirit. The genre thrives on a punk rock ethos: if you crave scares that are missing from the mainstream, you grab a camera and create them yourself. Don’t wait for permission; innovate, experiment, and build your own terrifying world. This ethos fosters a supportive community where emerging artists are cheered on for carving out their own niche, pushing boundaries, and bringing fresh nightmares to life.
This is precisely where the Adams Family enters the frame, a filmmaking collective embodying this DIY punk rock spirit within the horror genre.
About a decade ago, the family – dad John Adams, mom Toby Poser, and daughters Lulu and Zelda Adams – embarked on a filmmaking journey together. Their projects are true family affairs, entirely self-funded, granting them complete creative control over every aspect of production. From crafting the narrative and performing on screen to producing, directing, and designing sound, the Adams Family handles it all, collaboratively. They embrace shared responsibilities, cultivating an environment of creative experimentation and collective problem-solving. Successes are celebrated, and failures become invaluable lessons, fueling their next venture with newfound knowledge. Accountable only to themselves, they are free to pursue the stories that genuinely ignite their passion.
Initially, their filmography leaned towards quirky indie projects, family-centric crime thrillers sprinkled with humor, and heartfelt dramedies. However, a pivotal shift occurred when they decided to explore the darker realms of horror. For the benefit of horror enthusiasts everywhere, it’s a path they ideally will never abandon. This transition marked the birth of a distinctive voice in independent horror, a voice that echoes with originality and chilling intimacy.
II. The Deeper You Dig: Whispers from Beyond the Veil
“We need ghost stories because we, in fact, are the ghosts.” – Stephen King
The opening scene of the Adams Family’s The Deeper You Dig immediately establishes a haunting atmosphere. A solitary figure in a respirator mask toils amidst the debris of a house under renovation, while elsewhere, the melancholic strains of “After You’ve Gone” drift from tin-can speakers of a vintage Victrola perched high on a dusty mantelpiece. This eerie tableau sets the perfect tone for a film that gradually transforms from unsettling to utterly captivating.
At the film’s outset, we meet Ivy (Toby Poser), a tarot card reader and small-time con artist. She preys on the vulnerable, promising to connect them with departed loved ones for a fee. Whether she ever possessed genuine psychic abilities is debatable; any such sensitivity is long extinguished, replaced by practiced deception. Echo (Zelda Adams), Ivy’s teenage daughter, is a stark contrast: a kind-hearted, sharp-witted girl who enjoys hunting and sledding, radiating a youthful charm. Ivy and Echo share a quiet existence in a secluded community, their days filled with work and school, their bond a source of mutual comfort and companionship.
Enter Kurt (John Adams), another solitary figure in their community, engrossed in renovating the very house featured in that unsettling opening shot. Kurt also has a penchant for alcohol. One fateful night, after indulging in one too many drinks, he drives home, his attention momentarily diverted by a family of deer crossing the icy road.
That momentary distraction is all it takes. A sickening thump reverberates through the car. He stops, investigates, and discovers Echo, fresh from a nighttime sledding adventure, lifeless on the roadside.
Resembling the finest noir narratives, The Deeper You Dig poses a stark, penetrating question to its audience: what would you do in such a horrific situation? How would anyone react to such a devastating accident?
Kurt, in a haze of drunken panic, makes the worst possible choice: a cover-up. Under the cloak of night, amidst falling snow, he transports Echo’s body to a remote wooded area, attempting to bury her in a shallow grave. When this hasty plan fails, he inexplicably brings the corpse back to the dilapidated house, stashing her in a grimy bathtub, leaving her to decay. In his flawed logic, he believes this is the end of the ordeal.
Digging
With this dark premise, one might expect The Deeper You Dig to be solely a neo-noir thriller, and in many ways, it is. It’s a taut, suspenseful film, relentlessly escalating tension. However, as the narrative unfolds, delving (deeper, perhaps?) into the movie’s strange, somber, and terrifying core, the underlying, intricate mechanics of the story begin to emerge. When Echo begins to materialize in Kurt’s reality, initially appearing as a manifestation of guilt-ridden hallucinations, it soon becomes clear she is far more substantial than a mere bad dream. Even in death, Echo has her own agenda.
Ivy’s tarot card reading charade isn’t accidental; it’s a deliberate misdirection, a cinematic sleight of hand employed to disorient the audience. It initially suggests a world where the supernatural is fraudulent, a cruel joke played on those seeking solace in a meaningless existence.
Yet, the peculiar nature of ghost stories lies in their ability to remain unbelievable until one becomes ensnared within their very fabric.
Like all Wonder Wheel Productions/Adams Family films, the homemade quality of The Deeper You Dig is almost unbelievable. This characteristic, consistent throughout their filmography, truly shines here. The film embodies a singular artistic vision and compositional strength rarely matched by big-budget, studio-driven productions. It is intentionally claustrophobic and unsettling, a testament to their directorial intent.
Visually, the film is consistently striking. The Adamses masterfully utilize natural conditions – the movie is predominantly shot using natural light, capturing authentic weather, whether a snowy night, a bright day, or a gloomy evening. Their ability to achieve such cinematic beauty with seemingly simple tools – a camera, a tripod, and boundless imagination – is truly remarkable.
While The Deeper You Dig stands as a compelling film in its own right, within the context of the Adams Family’s horror trajectory, it served as foundational groundwork. It was their subsequent film that would truly propel them into the spotlight.
III. Hellbender: A Cycle of Fear and Power
“To me, punk is about being an individual and going against the grain and standing up and saying ‘This is who I am.’” – Joey Ramone
For their next cinematic endeavor, the Adams Family aimed for greater ambition. A larger ensemble cast, diverse filming locations, and elevated production values were planned. They were aiming to push their creative boundaries significantly with this project.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, forcing a recalibration of their plans. They had to pare down the scope of their intended movie, refining the narrative until it possessed the sharp, focused intensity of a razor’s edge.
The outcome? Hellbender.
Once again produced by their Wonder Wheel Productions and distributed by Yellow Veil Pictures (The Long Walk, Blood Quantum, Horror Noire, La Llorona), Hellbender was filmed during an epic 20,000-mile cross-country road trip. Spanning from their New York home to Maine, then across to Washington and the Pacific coast, Hellbender tells the story of Izzy (Zelda Adams), a solitary teenager, and her intensely protective Mother (Toby Poser). They live in isolated seclusion deep within the woods. Mother insists Izzy is ill, unable to venture into the outside world, interact with people, or form friendships. Mother paints the world as perilous for Izzy.
However, as the story unfolds, the truth is revealed: they are the ones who pose the danger.
When Izzy secretly ventures out and encounters a charming college student, her carefully constructed reality shatters. The boundaries between perception and reality crumble. Subsequent clandestine meetings lead to tequila shots and poolside gatherings with the college girl and her friends. When dared to eat an earthworm in place of the traditional maguey worm, Izzy readily accepts. Raised strictly vegan, she’s never consumed anything living, nor experienced genuine friendship. Her curiosity and desire to impress are understandable.
This seemingly innocuous act ignites a chain of events that unleashes chaos.
Izzy and Mother are revealed to be Hellbenders, ancient, enigmatic beings described as a hybrid of witch, demon, and apex predator. They appear human, but their true nature is far more profound and terrifying.
The crucial characteristic of Hellbenders is their sustenance: they don’t feed on flesh or blood, but on fear. They require their prey to experience terror before consumption, as fear is their life force, fueling their centuries-long existence and amplifying their power. The more dread and terror they instill and consume, the greater their strength becomes.
Much like horror creators themselves.
Whether intentionally conceived as a metaphor for those who trade in scares is debatable, but the parallel between Hellbenders and horror artists is undeniable.
Mother repeatedly cautions Izzy about responsibility accompanying power, echoing the familiar adage, but Izzy remains unconvinced, increasingly indifferent to the moral implications as her monstrous power grows.
HB-Z-totem
Hellbender is not just a product of the Adams Family’s DIY filmmaking philosophy; it’s a film about the very essence of breaking free and forging one’s own identity. The narrative chronicles Izzy’s transformation, her evolution from a sheltered, awkward teenager into a fearless, bloodthirsty predator, embodying primordial nightmares.
The film delves into themes of cycles and necessities, mortality and inadequacy, the fragility of legacy, and the questionable nature of control. Cycles are central to the narrative, mirroring the seasons. As Izzy embraces her true nature, Mother attempts to restrain her daughter’s predatory instincts, eventually resorting to a stark warning in one of the film’s most poignant lines:
“If you break my heart, I’ll devour you.”
Delivered almost casually, even jokingly, this line carries profound truth. However, Mother fails to recognize her misjudgment: through her web of lies and misguided attempts at control, she has already broken Izzy’s heart. And now, she is the one poised to be consumed. Hellbenders, it turns out, live according to the cyclical rhythm of seasons:
Spring devours Winter, Winter devours Fall, Fall devours…
Hellbender transcends simple morality. While Mother adheres to a strict moral code, Izzy is driven by primal urges and hunger. She is a great white shark in teenage form, a direwolf in worn Converse sneakers.
One of the film’s narrative strengths is its refusal to adopt a definitive moral stance on either Mother or Izzy’s actions. It avoids simplistic judgments of right and wrong, recognizing that such concepts are limited, human constructs, insignificant when confronting beings that straddle witch, demon, and apex predator archetypes.
Is Mother justified in attempting to contain their predatory nature? Yes. Is Izzy justified in succumbing to her bloodlust, turning the serene countryside into her personal buffet? Also yes.
Hellbender rejects easy answers, pursuing a messier, more authentic truth, and therein lies its profound beauty.
Like The Deeper You Dig, Hellbender’s production quality is astonishing, even more so considering its scale. Building upon their static tripod shots, Hellbender incorporates drone cinematography (courtesy of Zelda), executed with such expertise that it rivals seasoned professionals.
The special effects warrant significant praise. While micro-budget indie films often feature fun effects, they often fall short of seamless integration, disrupting suspension of disbelief. Hellbender defies this trend. Every special effect feels organic and believable, a remarkable achievement given the film’s production constraints and the ambitious visual trickery employed. Visual effects supervisor Trey Lindsay performed a minor miracle.
Even the soundtrack, crafted by Zelda and Toby’s punk band H6llb6nd6r, is exceptional. The songwriting is evocative and haunting, simultaneously intimate and expansive, driven by Kim Deal-esque basslines and ethereal vocals.
IV. Embracing the Devils Within Indie Horror
“Horror is the future. And you cannot be afraid. You must push everything to the absolute limit, or else life will be boring. Horror is like a serpent: always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back.” – Dario Argento
That exhilarating feeling of discovering a new artist – a band, author, filmmaker – who has been quietly creating unique, resonant art for years, hoping they achieve success without compromising their magic?
That’s precisely the sentiment the Adams Family evokes.
Their strength lies in the core elements of horror: genuine human stories, a robust DIY work ethic, a sharp sense of humor, and ample scares, gore, and mayhem to satisfy even the most demanding horror aficionados. They possess a clear artistic vision and execute it with unwavering commitment, consistently exceeding expectations.
There’s an undeniable magic in their work, deserving of widespread recognition and acclaim. Hellbender has garnered significant positive attention since its release on Shudder, and rightfully so. Their next project, another horror film, is rumored to be a period piece, their unique take on a Western tale.
Anticipation is high for their upcoming film. Whatever direction they take, it’s sure to be relentlessly excellent. The Adams Family has mastered their craft, honed through decades of collective experience, operating entirely on their own terms.
That’s the epitome of punk rock filmmaking.
Stream Hellbender and The Deeper You Dig on Shudder and delve into the captivating world of Adams Family Movies.
Order Matthew Lyons’ newest novel, A Black and Endless Sky, from your favorite retailer:
Apple | Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
