Review of Hellbent

Quite a lot of people around here are referring to "HellBent" as being a genuine throwback to the 80's horror sub genre of slashers, but it isn't one, really. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the whole point of slasher-movies the guessing along for the killer's identity and the search for a link between him/her and the people that got killed? Well, at least mostly that was the point, unless the culprit was Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th) or Michael Myers (Halloween) who just massacred teenagers because it was in their genes. With his debut "HellBent", writer/director Paul Etheredge-Ouzts entirely disregards this operating routine, but not necessarily for the better. The film profiles itself as the very first gay slasher movie (although that's debatable) so that's exactly what happens! Queer boys are butchered and that's it…period! The maniac is an athletic type of guy wearing a devil-outfit and his chest is perfectly waxed. He dwells around the places that the homosexual crowd of West Hollywood considers to be paradise, like the park, dark bathrooms in clubs and the annual Halloween parade. After murdering a couple of boys in their car, he focuses on a group of gay roommates that anxiously look forward to a Halloween night full of wild parties, kinky costumes and – of course – meaningless sex with handsome strangers. Whose is the face hiding behind the mask is anyone's guess, as the script doesn't attempt much to provide this handsome devil with motives for his truly sick – he chops off and collects his victims' heads – killing spree. Is he a homophobe gone crazy? Is he a homosexual himself but too scared to come out of the closet? Did Michael Jackson assault him? You're not meant to know and, frankly, it doesn't matter because "HellBent" delivers exactly what it promises: bloody murders and a wide variation of eccentric characters. The players are all stereotypical characters that always appear in slashers, only they're all gay this time – duh! The main star is a yummy "scream-queer" who's friendly and looking for true love, while his friends circle contains the typical macho, the sex-addict and the overly shy and emotionally vulnerable virgin. Oh well, I'm really not in the mood to nag or complain too much about the weaknesses in this film. It's short and funny, the soundtrack is excellent and every cast-member is a fresh-faced youngster that plays his role with a lot of enthusiasm. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend "HellBent" to any horror fan that isn't too shallow.

PS (and SPOILER): Although "HellBent" is technically the first horror film with an all-gay cast, the formula of a homosexual murderer was used already once, namely in the long-forgotten and truly abysmal 80's flick "Hide and Go Shriek".