Hellbender is a horror film about Izzy, a lonely adolescent who discovers she is a descent from a long line of powerful evil witches. A dark past that her mother seeks to hide. Izzy embarks on a journey of discovery and death that has no end. When she acquires a taste for the heady power of her newfound witchcraft. Hellbender is a coming-of-age folk horror film directed and written by the filmmaking family collective The Adams – Zelda Adams, Toby Posey, and John Adams. That is sure to have horror lovers talking. Here’s a selection of 7 coming-of-age best occult horror films similar to Hellbender that moviegoers will like.
1. Midsommar
Director- Ari Aster
Dani, an American graduate student, is traumatise and still trying to come to terms with a horrific family tragedy. So she turns to Christian, her self-centered and aloof boyfriend, against the backdrop of their impending break-up. She joins two of Christian’s pals, as well as their cryptic buddy Pelle, to attend a once-every-ninety-years summer solstice event. An isolated pagan commune located in the heart of the Swedish province of Hälsingland. In the hopes of mending their shattered relationship. Dani is finally please for the first time in a long time.
However, in this warm and verdant haven of peace, harmony, and constant sunlight, the hospitable community’s unusual traditions begin to taint the legendary ideal. As an uneasy feeling of unease begins to sneak up on Pelle’s visitors. The naturalistic rites, however, appear cruel to naive strangers.
2. The Witch (2015)
Director- Robert Eggers
In mid-seventeenth-century New England, a torment patriarch, William, and his Puritan family were thrown from the bosom of their righteous pilgrim community. So they establish a small cottage on the boundaries of a thick and dark forest. As the poor family attempts to settle into their new isolated property, calamity strikes when their infant kid vanishes into thin air, followed by additional unforeseen and devastating calamities that befall the God-fearing farmers. Is this dire condition the product of a family on the verge of collapse, or is Thomasin, William’s firstborn daughter, the source of all evil?
3. Suspiria (2018)
Director- Luca Gradagnino
Susie Bannion, a sheltered Mennonite and ambitious dancer, arrives at the elite Helena Markos Dance Academy shortly after the inexplicable disappearance of a troublesome student, against the backdrop of deadly political turmoil in a persistently dreary 1977 Berlin. Susie fares exceedingly well at the audition with hopes of joining the famed choreographer Madame Blanc’s all-female dance team, but whispers of an unholy trinity of witch-mothers—Mater Suspiriorum, Mater Tenebrarum, and Mater Lachrymarum—threaten to taint her happy success. Another ballet girl goes missing before long.
4. Ginger Snaps (2000)
Director- John Fawcett
Ginger is 16, edgy, tough, and likes staging and documenting death scenarios with her younger sister. They’ve made an agreement to die together. A werewolf bites Ginger in early October, on the night of her first period, which also happens to be a full moon night. Her body and disposition undergo significant changes within a few days. Brigitte, her 15-year-old sister, enlists the support of Sam, a local doper, in her quest for a cure. As Brigitte races against the clock as Halloween and another full moon approach, Ginger becomes more terrifying, and neighbourhood dogs aren’t the only ones who perish.
5. Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Director- Karyn Kusama
Needy Kesnicki is a bashful teen student in Devil’s Kettle, Minnesota, who idolises her brash cheerleader buddy Jennifer Check. They go to a bar to see the rock band Low Shoulder, and the band leader overhears Jennifer’s status as a virgin. Jennifer is kidnap by the band in their van after the place is on fire. She subsequently shows up at Needy’s house covered in blood, vomiting a dark liquid, and acting strangely. Many male classmates are finds slain with pieces of their bodies consumed over the next few days.
Jennifer was sacrificed in a dark magic ritual by the band members. But something went wrong because Jennifer was not a virgin, and she turned into a flesh-eating succubus. Needy wants to keep Jennifer away from her lover Chip.
6. The Old Ways (2020)
Director- Christopher Alender
Cristina Lopez, a young reporter, is trapped in a rural village with her silent kidnapper Javi. Cristina’s scepticism fuels her efforts to flee when her long-lost sister Miranda warns her that the villagers believe she is possessed by a demon. However, when horrible images begin to materialise, shaman Luz’s salvation may be her last hope.
Ironically, The Old Ways feels like a fresh take on a well-worn style of horror. Exorcism films have traditionally struggled to surpass William Friedkin’s genre-defining masterpiece, but Christopher Alender intelligently foregoes the traditional framework in favour of a film that seems as much like an action thriller as a horror.
7. Let The Right One In (2008)
Director- Tomas Alfredson
Oskar, a twelve-year-old child from the Stockholm neighbourhood of Blackeberg, is a lonely and outcast boy who is mistreated at school by Conny and two other classmates; at home, Oskar fantasises about avenging the trio of bullies. He befriends his twelve-year-old next-door neighbour Eli, who only appears at night on their building’s playground. Meanwhile, Eli’s father is a serial killer who uses his victims’ blood to supply Eli, allowing her to avoid killing. Eli advises Oskar on how to respond to Conny’s retaliation; however, he soon learns that she is a vampire, and he is torn between fear and love for her.
We’ve got to admit that the genre of occult horror films is full of stand out. Our list only exhibits a small sample of the numerous quality films in this genre. If you’re in the mood for something creepy or just want to watch a solid film, give any one of these movies a try and see if you don’t get hooked!
