BloodyFM Blog
‘Hellbender’ Explores the True Nature of Monstrosity [The Lady Killers Podcast]
BloodyFM Blog / Updated: July 2, 2025
“If you break my heart I’ll devour you.”
What does it mean to be a monster? We define vampires, werewolves, and creatures from the deep by the physical characteristics they use to subdue their prey. But what about their character and motivation? Can a monster ever change and choose to value human life? And what if that monster is unaware of the power that lies at her fingertips? Is she still a monster deep inside? Will her monstrosity find a way to emerge regardless of efforts to hide it away?
The Adams Family’s Hellbender explores the dangers of deception with the story of a wolf determined to become a sheep.
Izzy (Zelda Adams) lives a quiet life in the woods with her Mother (Toby Poser). Believing she suffers from a genetic illness, Izzy spends her days isolated and exploring the forest, worried that contact with the real world will cause others harm. But when a man intrudes on their woodland bliss, Izzy goes looking for friends her own age. Only then does Mother reveal that Izzy is not actually sick, she’s a witch-like predator known as a Hellbender with a plethora of powers she’s never explored.
In the latest episode of of Bloody FM’s The Lady Killers podcast, co-hosts Jenn Adams and Sammie Kuykendall venture into the woods to chat about witches, cannibals, and everything in between. Is Mother right to lie to her daughter? Is Izzy justified in her rage? What exactly can a Hellbender do and who is the true villain of this film?
Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.
