Hellbender (2021) Movie Script
[thrilling electronic music]
[mysterious instrumental music]
[mysterious clanging music]
[woman choking]
- [wind howling]
- [woman choking]
[chain rattling]
[wind howling]
[dramatic music]
[woman grunting]
[woman grunting]
[woman choking]
[woman grunting]
[gun clicking]
[gunshot blasting]
- [gun clicking]
- [gunshots blasting]
- [gun clicking]
- [gunshots blasting]
[woman groaning]
[eerie music]
[mysterious growling]
[body whooshing]
[flames crackling]
[woman screaming]
[alternative rock music]
Women cut women
Women cut women
I'm a bad luck penny and
I'll take you pound for pound
I'm a bad luck penny and I'm
born to rip, cut you down
Women cut women
Women cut women
Ow, I love it!
[Izzy chuckles]
But you know what's
missing, don't ya?
Little bass solo.
No, what?
[laughs] Okay, one
more chorus though.
No.
Heavy and quick,
that's our thing.
Okay, uno mas?
- [sticks clanging]
- Eins, zwei.
BOTH: Eins, zwei, drei, fear!
Hey, Iz.
I'm making the trip to town
tomorrow, you want anything?
Can I come?
Can I have some charcoal
pencils and drumsticks, please?
Sure.
Hey, that was a good
practice tonight.
Yeah.
Love you, Iz.
Love you.
[mellow rock music]
I
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
with devil rays
I'm on my way
to hunt you down
I
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
with devil rays
I'm on my way
to hunt you down
I'm not your maker,
but I will destroy you
I'll have you
begging on your knees
I'm not your maker,
but I will destroy you
I'll have you
begging on your knees
- [birds chirping]
- [water lapping]
[distant laughing]
[grass crunching]
[woman laughing]
[birds chirping]
[woman laughing]
[device ticking]
That is one of my
favorite pieces.
Local artist, she's fabulous.
I remember you.
I know you.
You haven't changed a day.
You were my grandmother's nurse.
I'm sorry, I think
you're mistaken.
That'll be $75.
Thanks.
CASHIER: Thank you.
You have a great day.
Bye!
[motor humming]
[car whooshing]
[motor humming]
Hey, Mom.
Hey, kiddo.
How was town?
Same old, same old.
Got some fun shit though.
[sighs] Check this out.
Oh!
New look for the band maybe?
I love it, man.
That is sick!
It's so cool.
What else?
I went to the record shop.
Thought these looked cool.
That's awesome.
I can't wait to
look through them.
[birds chirping]
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I like making you happy.
How about you?
How was your day?
It was good.
I went hunting.
For what?
A laugh.
But
it was a ghost.
[ominous music]
[ominous music]
[mysterious clanging music]
[soft chanting]
[mysterious clanging music]
[eerie sawing]
MOTHER: Great food in
the in the forest today.
IZ: It looks good.
MOTHER: Spring eats
winter, winter eats fall.
Fall eats summer,
summer eats spring.
- [frogs croaking]
- [crickets chirping]
[teeth crunching]
[somber instrumental music]
[birds chirping]
[insect buzzing]
[lid clatters]
[soft electronic music]
[lid clatters]
[lid clatters]
[soft electronic whirring]
[irregular thumping]
[jarring instrumental music]
[soft chanting]
[jarring instrumental music]
[soft chanting]
[energy whooshing]
[jarring instrumental music]
[energy whooshing]
[water lapping]
Oh!
Hi!
Oh my God.
Sorry, sorry to bother you.
Woo, I am so lost!
You're, you're trespassing.
Understood.
Oh my God, I've been
hiking for hours.
I, I parked on 209,
and now I just can't
find my way back.
Do you know where 209 is?
Is this your property?
Yeah, I live here with my mom.
You're a country
girl, like my niece.
Amber Hanson?
She goes to school in town.
I'm homeschool.
Oh.
Anyway, she lives like
one mountain over,
or one mountain over.
She lives a mountain
over. [laughs]
I gotta show you something.
Look at this.
Those don't work out here.
If they did work, I
wouldn't be so lost.
I took a picture of something
that was just super odd.
Have you ever seen
anything like this?
I'm sick.
MAN: Oh, you don't look sick.
- I am.
- Well, look at this.
MOTHER: Hey!
[water lapping]
Pleased to meet you.
[water lapping]
Oh, fucking god! [laughs]
How the fuck?
[birds chirping]
So, is that your
daughter that I met?
[grass crunching]
What's wrong with her?
Do you know the Hansons?
I was telling your
daughter that my niece
lives fairly close.
I was thinking that maybe
I could introduce them.
I think they'd really
get along.
Are you married?
[tense music]
No.
Do you have any children?
MAN: No.
I would have liked
to have kids though.
Okay.
[tense music]
[man grunting]
[man gagging]
[man groaning, choking]
[tense music]
[man groaning]
[tense music]
[man choking]
[eerie whirring]
[eerie whirring]
[man gagging, choking]
[heartbeat thumping]
[man gagging]
[air whooshing]
[dust thuds softly]
- [grass crunching softly]
- [birds chirping]
[footsteps pattering]
IZZY: I didn't get too
close to him, I promise.
Okay.
You think I'm gonna be okay?
You'll be fine.
[footsteps pattering]
[door shutting]
- [frogs croaking]
- [crickets chirping]
[birds chirping]
[door creaks softly]
[birds chirping]
[door creaking]
[birds chirping]
[water rushing]
[birds chirping]
[owl hooting]
[water rushing]
[bee buzzing]
[birds chirping]
- [fly buzzing]
- [birds chirping]
[doe snorting]
[birds chirping]
[bird trilling]
[bird trilling]
[grass crunching]
[Amber laughing]
- [birds chirping]
- [grass crunching]
Hey!
I see you, you big perve!
AJ!
I'm gonna fuck you up!
Oh!
You're not AJ.
Sorry.
I'm Izzy.
Amber.
I'm your neighbor.
I live up on that mountain.
Which mountain?
That mountain.
Well, that's news to me.
You want a beer, neighbor?
Well, are you gonna be creepy
or are you gonna come over?
[birds chirping]
[grass crunching]
[water splashing]
[birds chirping]
Are you gonna sit the
fuck down or what?
[Izzy chuckles]
I'm sick.
What do you got, an STD?
I'm just fuckin' with ya.
Sit.
I can't get close to people.
None of us can.
I'll sit.
[birds chirping]
[chair thuds]
How come I've never
seen you before?
I'm homeschooled.
Well, what do you do for fun?
I hike.
I draw.
And swim, I swim.
I'm in a band.
Well, that's cool,
what do you play?
The drums.
Oh, cool, I used
to date a drummer.
They're hot, but dumb.
I sing, too.
Nice.
And I write the lyrics also.
Damn, girl, what's
your band's name?
Hellbender.
[laughs] Wicked.
You should come play at
a part of mine sometime.
That'd be so cool!
- [bottle opener clangs]
- [bottle cap rattles]
[birds chirping]
Drink up.
But don't piss in the pool.
[birds chirping]
- [soft chanting]
- [footsteps pattering]
[girl laughing]
[key squelching]
[eerie whooshing]
[key clatters]
[door creaks]
- [soft chanting]
- [footsteps pattering]
[key rattles]
[soft chanting]
[dramatic music]
[soft chanting]
[soft whooshing]
[loud chanting]
- [energy whooshing]
- [electricity buzzing]
[distant screaming]
- [energy whooshing]
- [electricity buzzing]
[mysterious music]
[wind howling]
Liar!
[woman laughing]
[soft chanting]
[creature growling]
Mom.
What's happening?
[Izzy screaming]
[air whooshing]
[eerie clanging music]
[footsteps pattering]
Hell yeah
There's a new dance up,
it's called kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
So get your lipstick
going and pucker up
Hell yeah
Well, you're talking
like a little bitch
Your last kiss sucked
Hell yeah
So get your party pants
on and shut the fuck up
Hell yeah
Ki, ki, ki, ki,
ki, kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
Ki, ki, ki, ki,
ki, kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
Ki, ki, ki, ki,
ki, kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
[birds chirping]
[pop rock music]
I better get home, I got
a babysitting gig tonight.
What?
This isn't your home?
[laughs] You thought
I lived here?
No fuckin' way.
I just sneak in
to use their pool.
Somebody's got to use it.
They're city-ots,
they'll never know.
Well, where do you live?
About a mile down the road.
It's not as nice.
[birds chirping]
I've got some friends coming
tomorrow, you should come.
Okay.
AMBER: Bring a bathing
suit this time.
I don't have a bathing suit.
I'll bring you one.
You look like a cross between
Kurt Cobain and a wet dog.
[laughs] Okay.
See you tomorrow, Hellbender!
See ya, Amber.
[birds chirping]
[mellow, warming up rock music]
I want to play out.
What?
I want to play out, for people.
That's not gonna happen.
Why not?
I mean, we do all this
and we're really good.
I think that we
should show people.
Well, you know, we do it for us.
It's our thing.
'Cause it's fun.
I love playing with you,
but I think it'd be fun
to share our fucking amazing
songs with other people.
I think people would
really like them.
If a band plays in the woods
and there's no one
there to hear it,
did the band really play?
Izzy, what's going on?
Nothing, I'm just.
What if I'm better?
You're not.
You took me away from
people when I was five.
How do you know?
I know that I don't want
to take any chances.
I love you too much.
I love you, too.
But I also love the idea
of meeting other people
who might like music as
much as me, or something.
You know?
Maybe I could just
have one friend.
All I need is one.
Izzy, you can't be
around anyone, ever.
Let's just practice.
Armageddon?
Okay.
- One, two, three, four.
- [sticks clapping]
[alternative rock music]
I dream days in so many ways
I know they're all
the same and sometimes
I run away from the
truth and the pain
I know apologies are hollow
I'll follow you tomorrow
I'll follow you tomorrow
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
[alternative rock music]
[alternative rock music]
There she is.
All right, Hellbender.
I got you something
on the chair.
[crow cawing]
Hot Mama!
Hi, I'm AJ.
Hey, I'm Ingrid.
AJ's going to med
school in the fall.
You should tell
him about your STD.
I don't have an STD.
I have an immune disease.
Oh, which one?
X-linked severe combined
immunodeficiency disease.
That's weird.
I thought only boys got that,
and it's super fatal
passed infancy.
Well, if that's true you
can thank your mom for it.
That's what the X means.
[cymbals banging]
Oh my god, you suck.
Hellbender.
[crow cawing]
[drums banging]
Maybe I'm the rain
Maybe I'm the ocean
Falling from the sky
Like a super potion
Maybe I'm the rain
falling from the sky
Maybe I'm the sun
burning till I die
Maybe I'm the rain,
maybe I'm the rain
- [group applauding]
- [girls cheering]
Cheers, I'll drink to that, bro.
Tequila?
[alternative rock music]
In celebration of our new friend
and her first tequila shot,
I will place in one of these
cups not the typical dead worm
you'd find at the
bottom of a bottle,
but a real, live, bloody
bodacious earthworm.
[girls groaning, laughing]
[tense music]
- [earthworm splashes]
- [girls laugh]
[birds chirping]
[crow cawing]
[tense music]
[crow cawing]
Drink up.
I'm vegetarian.
You were vegetarian.
Now, you're a worm-atarian.
Oh, come on guys,
leave her alone.
I'll have the worm.
No, them's the rules.
You get the worm,
you eat the worm.
Come on, kid.
It'll give you
superhuman strength.
Hold your nose, you
won't even taste it.
[Izzy gulping, gagging]
- [Ingrid laughing]
- [Izzy coughing]
[Izzy belching, laughing]
[hands clapping]
[ominous music]
[Izzy screaming]
[heartbeat thumping]
[soft chanting]
[tires rumbling]
- [door slamming]
- Hey!
[alternative rock music]
[girls laughing]
[leaves crunching, rustling]
[girls laughing]
Oh my God.
They never come up
on weekdays! [laughs]
Dude, you forgot your clothes.
And your fucking shoes. [laughs]
You wild woman!
[fly buzzing]
I'm gonna need that bikini back.
Oh my God, you're
so fucking screwed.
[tense music]
Dude, I'm not gay.
But I got friends
you could meet.
[crow cawing]
[tense music]
What the fuck, dude?
[leaves rustling]
Don't you ever fucking
come near me again!
[crows cawing]
[tense music]
[soft chanting]
[soft chanting]
[tense music]
Hey, you're fucked!
I'm sick of you kids
trashing my pool
and breaking into my pool house!
That is a vintage drum set!
Look at me when I'm
fucking talking to you!
Are you stoned?
Are you fucking high?
Hello?
Fucking pathetic.
You're an idiot.
You're coming with me
and I'm calling the cops.
[tense music]
Where have you been?
I was with some friends.
[footsteps pattering softly]
I ate a worm.
A live worm.
Are your friends okay?
They'll be fine.
I'm not sick.
You're dangerous.
My friend Amber's uncle's
been missing for two days.
Izzy.
It's gonna be okay.
I'm gonna help you.
Can we talk about
what happened today?
[door slamming]
- [frogs croaking]
- [insects chirping]
[mysterious chanting]
[mysterious laughing]
[sheets rustling]
[mysterious chanting]
[mysterious whimpering]
[mysterious laughing]
[mysterious chanting]
[mysterious music]
[mysterious laughing]
[key squelching]
[soft chanting]
[Key clattering]
[door creaking]
[soft chanting]
[distant laughing]
[key thudding]
[soft chanting]
[wind howling]
[dramatic whooshing]
[woman laughing]
[mysterious chanting]
[energy whooshing, buzzing]
- [distant screaming]
- [mysterious chanting]
[door shutting]
[floor creaking]
[door creaking]
[tense music]
Hey!
You're not gonna
eat that, are you?
No.
'Cause the hairs kind of
get stuck in your teeth.
IZZY: Why did that
worm make me so crazy?
MOTHER: It wasn't the worm.
It was the life in the worm.
Magic comes from the
fear, the fear of death.
Every living thing has it.
The more fear pumping through
the blood, the more power.
You think the worm
gives you power?
Try a rat.
Or a dog, woo!
Or a deer.
It's all in the pumping blood.
IZZY: What happens if we eat...
MOTHER: What?
IZZY: People.
MOTHER: Then you'll know power.
Is this a dream?
[tense music]
[door clattering, creaking]
[jarring instrumental music]
- [teeth crunching]
- [liquid squishing]
Wow.
I have never seen you like
raspberry thorn so much.
Your tastes are maturing.
I shouldn't have said anything.
Will you take a
rainy hike with me?
IZZY: Sure.
[thunder cracking]
I shouldn't have
kept this from you.
It was a mistake.
It's all right.
Why did you?
Keep you safe.
From what?
You've opened a door that
once it's open, it
can be hard to shut.
But you only opened
it a little, right?
So, that's good.
In fact, it's.
It's great.
It was bound to be open
and I wish I was there.
I should've been there.
You're good, Izzy.
You're good.
I can help you keep
it all in control.
[rain pouring]
[thunder cracking]
So, we're the same?
Yeah.
Was your mom like us?
Well.
She was, but she
wasn't a good mother.
And in the end, she might've
wished she had been.
[thunder cracking]
So, can we leave
the mountain now?
No.
Why, I'm not sick.
Look, I'm gonna
show you something,
but you gotta promise
no more door slammin'.
Okay?
[tense music]
Eat it quick while
it's still alive.
[eerie whirring music]
[eerie muttering]
[eerie music]
[trees rustling]
[distant muttering]
[mysterious music]
All right, show me
what you got, kid.
[distant frogs croaking]
[mysterious music]
[thunder cracking]
[dramatic music]
[stick whooshing]
[ground crunching]
Holy shit.
And that's why you can't
leave the mountain.
[Izzy laughing]
[tense music]
[alternative rock music]
Yeah, I'm a mother
fuckin' mountain
Yeah, flowin'
like a fountain
I'm a make a ton,
I'm a make a ton
I'm a make a ton,
I'm a make a ton
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
[wind howling]
[alternative rock music]
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
[alternative rock music]
[wind howling]
[tense music]
[air whooshing]
[object whooshing]
[tense music]
[switch clicking]
[water splashing]
- [doorknob clicking]
- [door creaking]
Hey.
Hey.
What are you doing down there?
I was just putting
back some paint.
[footsteps pattering]
[door shutting]
[tense music]
[dramatic music]
[wind howling]
[tense music]
[electricity ringing]
[floor creaking]
IZZY: I can hear you hearing me!
Hey.
Can I come in?
IZZY: Sure.
[door clattering]
[door shutting]
You remember the friend you,
uh, you made last summer?
Amber?
Yeah.
You still friends?
Do you ever see her?
No.
Is that because I'd
forbidden you to
or did something bad happen?
The last time I saw her,
she said that my friendship
was kind of suffocating her.
That's not your fault.
But remember, Iz,
we're not like them.
We don't need them.
We can be perfectly
happy here, together.
Alone.
How come I'm the only one
who's completely alone then?
Well, we can work on that.
When...
When I'm not dangerous?
Yeah.
Dangerous to who?
Whom?
Hey, Iz, I'm going to
town, do you need anything?
IZZY: No, thank you.
Have fun.
[door creaking, shutting]
[footsteps pattering]
[mysterious chanting]
[energy whooshing, buzzing]
[flames blasting]
[tense electric guitar music]
[tense music]
[eerie howling]
[flames blasting]
[distant humming]
[birds chirping]
[tense music]
[animal grunting softly]
[soft chanting]
[eerie music]
[tense music]
[leaves crunching]
[crow cawing]
Hey, let's go to the ravine.
Okay.
IZZY: Mom.
Mom.
Oh.
More bones.
[fly buzzing]
What do you think did this?
I don't know.
I've been seeing a
lot of bones lately.
All stripped clean, like this.
Impressive.
- [flies buzzing]
- [crow cawing]
Probably coyotes.
Beautiful.
But vicious.
No, no, I.
Whatever did this, it's
neither right or wrong.
It's just their nature.
- [crow cawing]
- [flies buzzing]
[water rushing]
What is our nature?
Our nature is dark.
But I can teach you to starve it
so it doesn't consume you.
But you said whatever
killed that deer back there,
that was in their nature.
You know why we're
called hellbenders?
Because we're powerful.
And anything powerful is feared.
Our ancestors grew drunk on
that fear, they craved it.
And so it was said we had
turned our backs on heaven
and bent towards hell.
Do you want that kind of legacy?
To be soulless?
Unloved?
Feared?
Pop quiz.
What happens when you mix
huckleberries and tears?
It enhances your eyesight.
Okay, that's too easy.
What if you crush
spiderwebs and ivy.
It makes your palms sticky
so you can climb
trees like squirrels.
Awesome.
It is.
Where'd you learn this stuff?
My mother.
Anywhere else?
No.
Hey.
What do you know about ferns?
Nothing.
Oh, such a beautiful plant.
Self reproducing, like us.
Awesome.
It is.
And if you've crush ferns
and fungus with one other
very special element,
you can smell blood on the wind.
Blood on the wind, I like that.
But I need you to understand
we don't need this
kind of thing anymore.
We're evolving.
Okay.
This is really fucking
cool, do you want to try it?
- Yeah.
- Okay, good.
[water rushing]
What do you smell?
A crow?
A rabbit?
I smell something big.
Good.
I smell a man.
OFFICER: Hello!
This is private property,
you're trespassing.
Actually, state land runs
right along these rocks.
That must be your property.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
How about 30 seconds?
MOTHER: We're just leaving.
10 seconds, I'm a fast talker.
All right, since
we're short on time
I'm gonna get
straight to the point.
Young lady, I need you to
be totally honest with me.
Where can I buy that shirt?
[laughs] There's only one.
I made it for our band.
10 seconds.
All right, business.
I'm sure you all heard a
man was killed last summer
by a wild animal or wild animals
couple of miles from here.
It's my belief it's a
rabid mountain lion.
Have you guys noticed
any carcasses?
No.
This might have something to do
with the disappearance of a man.
We found his car on 209,
but no sign of his body.
You see many hikers around here?
Nope.
Well, maybe it's a hellbender.
What's a hellbender?
It's kind of a cross
between a witch,
a demon, and an apex predator.
They live off the fear that
pumps through human blood,
which gives them
exceptional power.
[Officer laughs]
They've been around
since the dawn of time,
and they're still evolving.
[laughs] Young lady, if you
don't become a designer,
you should become a writer.
All right, deal?
All right, ladies.
Take care of
yourselves out there.
Have a good one.
[leaves crunching]
[wind howling]
[tense music]
- [wind howling]
- [water lapping]
[tense music]
[dramatic music]
[tense music]
[clock ticking softly]
[tense music]
A worm?
You want to go back
to moss and twigs?
I mean, it's baby food.
Why don't we eat a frog?
Or a hedgehog?
Or we can just go out
for burgers. [laughs]
[gentle guitar music]
Help mine.
[gentle guitar music]
I listen to your lips,
I listen to your eyes
I listen to my head
and everything inside
I don't want to hurt,
I just want to drive
I don't want to hurt,
I just want to drive
Everything you said to me
Was empty as a
bubble in the rain
Your promises
were meaningless
Especially bearing
mysteries full of pain
I love you so much, I
could just eat you up.
If you break my heart,
I'll devour you.
I don't want to hurt,
I just wanna ride
Hey, Izzy, I know you're pissed.
Let's smoke a peace pipe.
This is my special stash.
[lid clangs]
Maggots?
They're so small.
[huffs] But potent.
They can't be that
frightful though.
Oh, they are the great
death feeders of the world.
Think about the
lifecycle of a fly.
A fly feeds on death,
plants its eggs there,
and then within that death
comes rebirth, maggots,
which then feed on death
until they turn into flies.
Then the whole cycle
starts over again.
How magic is that?
And these babies were chowing
on one of the deer I
found in the forest,
which looked like it came
to a pretty terrifying end.
Trust me, there is
plenty to get ripped on.
[teeth crunching]
Try one.
[teeth crunching]
[Mother screaming]
[Mother grunts]
Let's fly.
Come on, let's fly!
It takes a lot more
than maggots to fly,
you greedy cunt! [laughs]
Then you can have
your useless maggots!
[Izzy spits]
[alternative rock music]
[Mother laughing]
[both laughing]
[Mother spits]
[both laughing]
[alternative rock music]
Oh my god!
[energy whooshing]
[energy whooshing]
[energy whirring]
[energy whooshing]
[smoke whooshing]
Bitch.
[alternative rock music]
Have you been in my dreams?
We would make a great team.
[alternative rock music]
Oh, I don't feel so good.
I need a shower.
That was fun.
[groans] Yeah, but we
cannot do that again.
That was very, very bad.
Tell me about your mom.
She was a monster.
She ate half a village.
They were children.
My friends.
She felt so guilty, she
sewed her mouth shut.
Did she starve to death?
No.
She was hanged.
A waste of rope.
So, then how'd she die?
The way all hellbenders die.
Spring eats winter,
winter eats fall.
Fall eats summer.
How old are you?
147, I think.
How old are you going to be?
You tell me.
[wing howling softly]
- [doorknob clicks]
- [keys rattle]
Hey.
[wind howling]
What are you doing here?
I just wanted to apologize.
How, how did you
know I work here?
[dog barking]
You're stalking me.
- Fucking psycho.
- Hold on, hold on.
I just want to give you this.
What is it?
It's your bikini.
Thanks.
Thanks for letting me borrow it.
No problem, hellbender.
Sorry for being such
a weirdo last summer.
It's cool.
Can you believe what
happened to that guy?
What guy?
The guy who chased us.
He got attacked by
some wild animal.
Oh.
That's crazy.
I was hoping nothing
happened to you,
even though you were
being a nutcase.
Well, thanks for the bikini.
Oh, I almost forgot.
I want to give you these.
Barrettes?
They're yours.
I kind of stole them from you
when I first met
you at the pool.
You know what,
back the fuck off!
- [box rattling]
- [dog barking]
[wind howling]
[tense clanging music]
[footsteps pattering]
Hey, Izzy!
Iz?
[tense music]
[doorknob clicks]
[door creaks]
[footsteps pattering]
[ominous piano music]
[soft chanting]
[door shutting]
[footsteps pattering]
[doorknob clicking]
[eerie whirring, buzzing]
[eerie whirring]
[distant roaring]
- [soft chanting]
- [eerie whirring]
- [air whooshing]
- [Izzy growling]
Hey, Mom!
You want to hear something
I wrote for Hellbender?
[wind howling]
Okay.
There was a wolf who
longed to be a sheep.
So, she cut her claws
and cracked her teeth.
She buried deep
the wolf beneath.
And when she bore a cub,
she raised it as a lamb.
She cut its claws and
cracked its teeth.
She buried deep
the wolf beneath.
But when the lamb
grew, so did her claws.
So, did her teeth.
And the wolf ate her mother
who was just a sheep.
You like it?
[wind howling]
Hey, did you meet
my friend Amber?
She's still alive and
she's scared shitless.
[Amber groaning]
[eerie piano music]
- [Amber groaning]
- [knife squelching]
[Mother screaming]
[Amber whimpering]
Cheers.
[eerie whirring]
[eerie growling]
[tense music]
AMBER: Please!
Help, help!
[footsteps pattering]
[tense music]
[Amber whimpering]
[tense music]
[eerie whirring, buzzing]
[lid creaks]
[liquid splashing]
[eerie whirring]
[ominous music]
[liquid dripping]
[Amber whimpering distantly]
[Amber muttering indistinctly]
[Amber whimpering]
[Mother groaning]
Help me.
[eerie music]
Help!
[eerie music]
[Mother groaning]
MOTHER: Fuck!
[eerie music]
[Mother groaning]
[liquid dripping]
[liquid splashing]
[Amber muttering indistinctly]
[liquid splashing]
AMBER: Help, I wanna go home.
- [objects crashing]
- [liquid splashing]
[tense music]
Help. [sobs]
I can't, I can't move.
Is she here?
Please help.
I can't move my body.
Please help. [sobs]
Help. [sobs]
Help me, help me,
help, help. [whimpers]
Please help.
Let me out, let me go!
Don't let her do this to me.
Please don't leave me.
Don't leave me.
Please don't leave me!
Please, help me please.
[water dripping]
Hey, Mom, that's
my friend Amber.
Remember, we met her uncle
in the woods that day.
I think you dusted him.
[air whooshing]
Ooh, I like that trick.
It's a great one to do
right in front of people.
It just fuckin' paralyzes
them with fear, like Amber.
I saw you take a taste.
- No.
- Izzy...
What, what have you done, what?
What is this place?
My happy place.
I'm not gonna let
you kill this girl.
I'm gonna save her
so I can save you.
[chuckles] Save me from what?
[amber groaning]
Izzy, I just wanted to save you
from the hell that I've known.
I just wanted us to be...
AMBER: Please!
People.
People?
Like the people
you've kept me from?
Like Amber?
The people that believe
in good and evil?
God and the devil?
If they want to believe
in hell so badly,
I'll give 'em hell.
AMBER: Let me go!
Izzy, you're good.
I raised you to be good.
Not evil.
I saw the book.
The blood, the bodies,
the babies, the terror.
I listened to your secrets
and I watched your dreams.
I know the truth, Mom.
I did what I was taught to do.
And you denied me that right.
[scoffs] Right.
To be a tool for the
hands of hell. [laughs]
It's not a gift, Izzy.
Then why was it given?
[water dripping]
I know the only way
a hellbender can die.
Winter eats fall,
fall eats summer,
summer eats spring,
and spring eats winter.
Did your mother
sacrifice herself or?
I think I know.
Watch out, Mom.
You might turn into
a real hellbender.
[Mother groaning]
I know you're in there.
Show me.
[Mother groaning]
Let me see.
[Mother growling]
There you are.
You're so beautiful.
Thank you.
Now, it's my turn.
I'm not afraid of you, Izzy.
You will be.
- [flames whooshing]
- [Mother groaning]
[Mother whimpering]
Help, please help me. [whimpers]
- [Amber screams]
- [head crumbles]
[Izzy roars]
[ominous music]
[water dripping]
Don't, I'm not ready.
I'm not ready.
I'm not ready.
I'm not, don't.
Mom, I'm not gonna eat you.
I'm not ready to have
a little hellbender.
And I love you.
I'm going to town,
you need anything?
MOTHER: Bass strings.
You got it.
[eerie clanging music]
- [thunder cracking]
- [Izzy screaming]
[hard rock music]
[mysterious instrumental music]
[mysterious clanging music]
[woman choking]
- [wind howling]
- [woman choking]
[chain rattling]
[wind howling]
[dramatic music]
[woman grunting]
[woman grunting]
[woman choking]
[woman grunting]
[gun clicking]
[gunshot blasting]
- [gun clicking]
- [gunshots blasting]
- [gun clicking]
- [gunshots blasting]
[woman groaning]
[eerie music]
[mysterious growling]
[body whooshing]
[flames crackling]
[woman screaming]
[alternative rock music]
Women cut women
Women cut women
I'm a bad luck penny and
I'll take you pound for pound
I'm a bad luck penny and I'm
born to rip, cut you down
Women cut women
Women cut women
Ow, I love it!
[Izzy chuckles]
But you know what's
missing, don't ya?
Little bass solo.
No, what?
[laughs] Okay, one
more chorus though.
No.
Heavy and quick,
that's our thing.
Okay, uno mas?
- [sticks clanging]
- Eins, zwei.
BOTH: Eins, zwei, drei, fear!
Hey, Iz.
I'm making the trip to town
tomorrow, you want anything?
Can I come?
Can I have some charcoal
pencils and drumsticks, please?
Sure.
Hey, that was a good
practice tonight.
Yeah.
Love you, Iz.
Love you.
[mellow rock music]
I
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
with devil rays
I'm on my way
to hunt you down
I
I'm on my way
I'm on my way
with devil rays
I'm on my way
to hunt you down
I'm not your maker,
but I will destroy you
I'll have you
begging on your knees
I'm not your maker,
but I will destroy you
I'll have you
begging on your knees
- [birds chirping]
- [water lapping]
[distant laughing]
[grass crunching]
[woman laughing]
[birds chirping]
[woman laughing]
[device ticking]
That is one of my
favorite pieces.
Local artist, she's fabulous.
I remember you.
I know you.
You haven't changed a day.
You were my grandmother's nurse.
I'm sorry, I think
you're mistaken.
That'll be $75.
Thanks.
CASHIER: Thank you.
You have a great day.
Bye!
[motor humming]
[car whooshing]
[motor humming]
Hey, Mom.
Hey, kiddo.
How was town?
Same old, same old.
Got some fun shit though.
[sighs] Check this out.
Oh!
New look for the band maybe?
I love it, man.
That is sick!
It's so cool.
What else?
I went to the record shop.
Thought these looked cool.
That's awesome.
I can't wait to
look through them.
[birds chirping]
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I like making you happy.
How about you?
How was your day?
It was good.
I went hunting.
For what?
A laugh.
But
it was a ghost.
[ominous music]
[ominous music]
[mysterious clanging music]
[soft chanting]
[mysterious clanging music]
[eerie sawing]
MOTHER: Great food in
the in the forest today.
IZ: It looks good.
MOTHER: Spring eats
winter, winter eats fall.
Fall eats summer,
summer eats spring.
- [frogs croaking]
- [crickets chirping]
[teeth crunching]
[somber instrumental music]
[birds chirping]
[insect buzzing]
[lid clatters]
[soft electronic music]
[lid clatters]
[lid clatters]
[soft electronic whirring]
[irregular thumping]
[jarring instrumental music]
[soft chanting]
[jarring instrumental music]
[soft chanting]
[energy whooshing]
[jarring instrumental music]
[energy whooshing]
[water lapping]
Oh!
Hi!
Oh my God.
Sorry, sorry to bother you.
Woo, I am so lost!
You're, you're trespassing.
Understood.
Oh my God, I've been
hiking for hours.
I, I parked on 209,
and now I just can't
find my way back.
Do you know where 209 is?
Is this your property?
Yeah, I live here with my mom.
You're a country
girl, like my niece.
Amber Hanson?
She goes to school in town.
I'm homeschool.
Oh.
Anyway, she lives like
one mountain over,
or one mountain over.
She lives a mountain
over. [laughs]
I gotta show you something.
Look at this.
Those don't work out here.
If they did work, I
wouldn't be so lost.
I took a picture of something
that was just super odd.
Have you ever seen
anything like this?
I'm sick.
MAN: Oh, you don't look sick.
- I am.
- Well, look at this.
MOTHER: Hey!
[water lapping]
Pleased to meet you.
[water lapping]
Oh, fucking god! [laughs]
How the fuck?
[birds chirping]
So, is that your
daughter that I met?
[grass crunching]
What's wrong with her?
Do you know the Hansons?
I was telling your
daughter that my niece
lives fairly close.
I was thinking that maybe
I could introduce them.
I think they'd really
get along.
Are you married?
[tense music]
No.
Do you have any children?
MAN: No.
I would have liked
to have kids though.
Okay.
[tense music]
[man grunting]
[man gagging]
[man groaning, choking]
[tense music]
[man groaning]
[tense music]
[man choking]
[eerie whirring]
[eerie whirring]
[man gagging, choking]
[heartbeat thumping]
[man gagging]
[air whooshing]
[dust thuds softly]
- [grass crunching softly]
- [birds chirping]
[footsteps pattering]
IZZY: I didn't get too
close to him, I promise.
Okay.
You think I'm gonna be okay?
You'll be fine.
[footsteps pattering]
[door shutting]
- [frogs croaking]
- [crickets chirping]
[birds chirping]
[door creaks softly]
[birds chirping]
[door creaking]
[birds chirping]
[water rushing]
[birds chirping]
[owl hooting]
[water rushing]
[bee buzzing]
[birds chirping]
- [fly buzzing]
- [birds chirping]
[doe snorting]
[birds chirping]
[bird trilling]
[bird trilling]
[grass crunching]
[Amber laughing]
- [birds chirping]
- [grass crunching]
Hey!
I see you, you big perve!
AJ!
I'm gonna fuck you up!
Oh!
You're not AJ.
Sorry.
I'm Izzy.
Amber.
I'm your neighbor.
I live up on that mountain.
Which mountain?
That mountain.
Well, that's news to me.
You want a beer, neighbor?
Well, are you gonna be creepy
or are you gonna come over?
[birds chirping]
[grass crunching]
[water splashing]
[birds chirping]
Are you gonna sit the
fuck down or what?
[Izzy chuckles]
I'm sick.
What do you got, an STD?
I'm just fuckin' with ya.
Sit.
I can't get close to people.
None of us can.
I'll sit.
[birds chirping]
[chair thuds]
How come I've never
seen you before?
I'm homeschooled.
Well, what do you do for fun?
I hike.
I draw.
And swim, I swim.
I'm in a band.
Well, that's cool,
what do you play?
The drums.
Oh, cool, I used
to date a drummer.
They're hot, but dumb.
I sing, too.
Nice.
And I write the lyrics also.
Damn, girl, what's
your band's name?
Hellbender.
[laughs] Wicked.
You should come play at
a part of mine sometime.
That'd be so cool!
- [bottle opener clangs]
- [bottle cap rattles]
[birds chirping]
Drink up.
But don't piss in the pool.
[birds chirping]
- [soft chanting]
- [footsteps pattering]
[girl laughing]
[key squelching]
[eerie whooshing]
[key clatters]
[door creaks]
- [soft chanting]
- [footsteps pattering]
[key rattles]
[soft chanting]
[dramatic music]
[soft chanting]
[soft whooshing]
[loud chanting]
- [energy whooshing]
- [electricity buzzing]
[distant screaming]
- [energy whooshing]
- [electricity buzzing]
[mysterious music]
[wind howling]
Liar!
[woman laughing]
[soft chanting]
[creature growling]
Mom.
What's happening?
[Izzy screaming]
[air whooshing]
[eerie clanging music]
[footsteps pattering]
Hell yeah
There's a new dance up,
it's called kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
So get your lipstick
going and pucker up
Hell yeah
Well, you're talking
like a little bitch
Your last kiss sucked
Hell yeah
So get your party pants
on and shut the fuck up
Hell yeah
Ki, ki, ki, ki,
ki, kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
Ki, ki, ki, ki,
ki, kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
Ki, ki, ki, ki,
ki, kiss the chaos
Hell yeah
[birds chirping]
[pop rock music]
I better get home, I got
a babysitting gig tonight.
What?
This isn't your home?
[laughs] You thought
I lived here?
No fuckin' way.
I just sneak in
to use their pool.
Somebody's got to use it.
They're city-ots,
they'll never know.
Well, where do you live?
About a mile down the road.
It's not as nice.
[birds chirping]
I've got some friends coming
tomorrow, you should come.
Okay.
AMBER: Bring a bathing
suit this time.
I don't have a bathing suit.
I'll bring you one.
You look like a cross between
Kurt Cobain and a wet dog.
[laughs] Okay.
See you tomorrow, Hellbender!
See ya, Amber.
[birds chirping]
[mellow, warming up rock music]
I want to play out.
What?
I want to play out, for people.
That's not gonna happen.
Why not?
I mean, we do all this
and we're really good.
I think that we
should show people.
Well, you know, we do it for us.
It's our thing.
'Cause it's fun.
I love playing with you,
but I think it'd be fun
to share our fucking amazing
songs with other people.
I think people would
really like them.
If a band plays in the woods
and there's no one
there to hear it,
did the band really play?
Izzy, what's going on?
Nothing, I'm just.
What if I'm better?
You're not.
You took me away from
people when I was five.
How do you know?
I know that I don't want
to take any chances.
I love you too much.
I love you, too.
But I also love the idea
of meeting other people
who might like music as
much as me, or something.
You know?
Maybe I could just
have one friend.
All I need is one.
Izzy, you can't be
around anyone, ever.
Let's just practice.
Armageddon?
Okay.
- One, two, three, four.
- [sticks clapping]
[alternative rock music]
I dream days in so many ways
I know they're all
the same and sometimes
I run away from the
truth and the pain
I know apologies are hollow
I'll follow you tomorrow
I'll follow you tomorrow
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
I get my peace in Armageddon
[alternative rock music]
[alternative rock music]
There she is.
All right, Hellbender.
I got you something
on the chair.
[crow cawing]
Hot Mama!
Hi, I'm AJ.
Hey, I'm Ingrid.
AJ's going to med
school in the fall.
You should tell
him about your STD.
I don't have an STD.
I have an immune disease.
Oh, which one?
X-linked severe combined
immunodeficiency disease.
That's weird.
I thought only boys got that,
and it's super fatal
passed infancy.
Well, if that's true you
can thank your mom for it.
That's what the X means.
[cymbals banging]
Oh my god, you suck.
Hellbender.
[crow cawing]
[drums banging]
Maybe I'm the rain
Maybe I'm the ocean
Falling from the sky
Like a super potion
Maybe I'm the rain
falling from the sky
Maybe I'm the sun
burning till I die
Maybe I'm the rain,
maybe I'm the rain
- [group applauding]
- [girls cheering]
Cheers, I'll drink to that, bro.
Tequila?
[alternative rock music]
In celebration of our new friend
and her first tequila shot,
I will place in one of these
cups not the typical dead worm
you'd find at the
bottom of a bottle,
but a real, live, bloody
bodacious earthworm.
[girls groaning, laughing]
[tense music]
- [earthworm splashes]
- [girls laugh]
[birds chirping]
[crow cawing]
[tense music]
[crow cawing]
Drink up.
I'm vegetarian.
You were vegetarian.
Now, you're a worm-atarian.
Oh, come on guys,
leave her alone.
I'll have the worm.
No, them's the rules.
You get the worm,
you eat the worm.
Come on, kid.
It'll give you
superhuman strength.
Hold your nose, you
won't even taste it.
[Izzy gulping, gagging]
- [Ingrid laughing]
- [Izzy coughing]
[Izzy belching, laughing]
[hands clapping]
[ominous music]
[Izzy screaming]
[heartbeat thumping]
[soft chanting]
[tires rumbling]
- [door slamming]
- Hey!
[alternative rock music]
[girls laughing]
[leaves crunching, rustling]
[girls laughing]
Oh my God.
They never come up
on weekdays! [laughs]
Dude, you forgot your clothes.
And your fucking shoes. [laughs]
You wild woman!
[fly buzzing]
I'm gonna need that bikini back.
Oh my God, you're
so fucking screwed.
[tense music]
Dude, I'm not gay.
But I got friends
you could meet.
[crow cawing]
[tense music]
What the fuck, dude?
[leaves rustling]
Don't you ever fucking
come near me again!
[crows cawing]
[tense music]
[soft chanting]
[soft chanting]
[tense music]
Hey, you're fucked!
I'm sick of you kids
trashing my pool
and breaking into my pool house!
That is a vintage drum set!
Look at me when I'm
fucking talking to you!
Are you stoned?
Are you fucking high?
Hello?
Fucking pathetic.
You're an idiot.
You're coming with me
and I'm calling the cops.
[tense music]
Where have you been?
I was with some friends.
[footsteps pattering softly]
I ate a worm.
A live worm.
Are your friends okay?
They'll be fine.
I'm not sick.
You're dangerous.
My friend Amber's uncle's
been missing for two days.
Izzy.
It's gonna be okay.
I'm gonna help you.
Can we talk about
what happened today?
[door slamming]
- [frogs croaking]
- [insects chirping]
[mysterious chanting]
[mysterious laughing]
[sheets rustling]
[mysterious chanting]
[mysterious whimpering]
[mysterious laughing]
[mysterious chanting]
[mysterious music]
[mysterious laughing]
[key squelching]
[soft chanting]
[Key clattering]
[door creaking]
[soft chanting]
[distant laughing]
[key thudding]
[soft chanting]
[wind howling]
[dramatic whooshing]
[woman laughing]
[mysterious chanting]
[energy whooshing, buzzing]
- [distant screaming]
- [mysterious chanting]
[door shutting]
[floor creaking]
[door creaking]
[tense music]
Hey!
You're not gonna
eat that, are you?
No.
'Cause the hairs kind of
get stuck in your teeth.
IZZY: Why did that
worm make me so crazy?
MOTHER: It wasn't the worm.
It was the life in the worm.
Magic comes from the
fear, the fear of death.
Every living thing has it.
The more fear pumping through
the blood, the more power.
You think the worm
gives you power?
Try a rat.
Or a dog, woo!
Or a deer.
It's all in the pumping blood.
IZZY: What happens if we eat...
MOTHER: What?
IZZY: People.
MOTHER: Then you'll know power.
Is this a dream?
[tense music]
[door clattering, creaking]
[jarring instrumental music]
- [teeth crunching]
- [liquid squishing]
Wow.
I have never seen you like
raspberry thorn so much.
Your tastes are maturing.
I shouldn't have said anything.
Will you take a
rainy hike with me?
IZZY: Sure.
[thunder cracking]
I shouldn't have
kept this from you.
It was a mistake.
It's all right.
Why did you?
Keep you safe.
From what?
You've opened a door that
once it's open, it
can be hard to shut.
But you only opened
it a little, right?
So, that's good.
In fact, it's.
It's great.
It was bound to be open
and I wish I was there.
I should've been there.
You're good, Izzy.
You're good.
I can help you keep
it all in control.
[rain pouring]
[thunder cracking]
So, we're the same?
Yeah.
Was your mom like us?
Well.
She was, but she
wasn't a good mother.
And in the end, she might've
wished she had been.
[thunder cracking]
So, can we leave
the mountain now?
No.
Why, I'm not sick.
Look, I'm gonna
show you something,
but you gotta promise
no more door slammin'.
Okay?
[tense music]
Eat it quick while
it's still alive.
[eerie whirring music]
[eerie muttering]
[eerie music]
[trees rustling]
[distant muttering]
[mysterious music]
All right, show me
what you got, kid.
[distant frogs croaking]
[mysterious music]
[thunder cracking]
[dramatic music]
[stick whooshing]
[ground crunching]
Holy shit.
And that's why you can't
leave the mountain.
[Izzy laughing]
[tense music]
[alternative rock music]
Yeah, I'm a mother
fuckin' mountain
Yeah, flowin'
like a fountain
I'm a make a ton,
I'm a make a ton
I'm a make a ton,
I'm a make a ton
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
[wind howling]
[alternative rock music]
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
I'm a hit and run,
I'm a hit and run
[alternative rock music]
[wind howling]
[tense music]
[air whooshing]
[object whooshing]
[tense music]
[switch clicking]
[water splashing]
- [doorknob clicking]
- [door creaking]
Hey.
Hey.
What are you doing down there?
I was just putting
back some paint.
[footsteps pattering]
[door shutting]
[tense music]
[dramatic music]
[wind howling]
[tense music]
[electricity ringing]
[floor creaking]
IZZY: I can hear you hearing me!
Hey.
Can I come in?
IZZY: Sure.
[door clattering]
[door shutting]
You remember the friend you,
uh, you made last summer?
Amber?
Yeah.
You still friends?
Do you ever see her?
No.
Is that because I'd
forbidden you to
or did something bad happen?
The last time I saw her,
she said that my friendship
was kind of suffocating her.
That's not your fault.
But remember, Iz,
we're not like them.
We don't need them.
We can be perfectly
happy here, together.
Alone.
How come I'm the only one
who's completely alone then?
Well, we can work on that.
When...
When I'm not dangerous?
Yeah.
Dangerous to who?
Whom?
Hey, Iz, I'm going to
town, do you need anything?
IZZY: No, thank you.
Have fun.
[door creaking, shutting]
[footsteps pattering]
[mysterious chanting]
[energy whooshing, buzzing]
[flames blasting]
[tense electric guitar music]
[tense music]
[eerie howling]
[flames blasting]
[distant humming]
[birds chirping]
[tense music]
[animal grunting softly]
[soft chanting]
[eerie music]
[tense music]
[leaves crunching]
[crow cawing]
Hey, let's go to the ravine.
Okay.
IZZY: Mom.
Mom.
Oh.
More bones.
[fly buzzing]
What do you think did this?
I don't know.
I've been seeing a
lot of bones lately.
All stripped clean, like this.
Impressive.
- [flies buzzing]
- [crow cawing]
Probably coyotes.
Beautiful.
But vicious.
No, no, I.
Whatever did this, it's
neither right or wrong.
It's just their nature.
- [crow cawing]
- [flies buzzing]
[water rushing]
What is our nature?
Our nature is dark.
But I can teach you to starve it
so it doesn't consume you.
But you said whatever
killed that deer back there,
that was in their nature.
You know why we're
called hellbenders?
Because we're powerful.
And anything powerful is feared.
Our ancestors grew drunk on
that fear, they craved it.
And so it was said we had
turned our backs on heaven
and bent towards hell.
Do you want that kind of legacy?
To be soulless?
Unloved?
Feared?
Pop quiz.
What happens when you mix
huckleberries and tears?
It enhances your eyesight.
Okay, that's too easy.
What if you crush
spiderwebs and ivy.
It makes your palms sticky
so you can climb
trees like squirrels.
Awesome.
It is.
Where'd you learn this stuff?
My mother.
Anywhere else?
No.
Hey.
What do you know about ferns?
Nothing.
Oh, such a beautiful plant.
Self reproducing, like us.
Awesome.
It is.
And if you've crush ferns
and fungus with one other
very special element,
you can smell blood on the wind.
Blood on the wind, I like that.
But I need you to understand
we don't need this
kind of thing anymore.
We're evolving.
Okay.
This is really fucking
cool, do you want to try it?
- Yeah.
- Okay, good.
[water rushing]
What do you smell?
A crow?
A rabbit?
I smell something big.
Good.
I smell a man.
OFFICER: Hello!
This is private property,
you're trespassing.
Actually, state land runs
right along these rocks.
That must be your property.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
How about 30 seconds?
MOTHER: We're just leaving.
10 seconds, I'm a fast talker.
All right, since
we're short on time
I'm gonna get
straight to the point.
Young lady, I need you to
be totally honest with me.
Where can I buy that shirt?
[laughs] There's only one.
I made it for our band.
10 seconds.
All right, business.
I'm sure you all heard a
man was killed last summer
by a wild animal or wild animals
couple of miles from here.
It's my belief it's a
rabid mountain lion.
Have you guys noticed
any carcasses?
No.
This might have something to do
with the disappearance of a man.
We found his car on 209,
but no sign of his body.
You see many hikers around here?
Nope.
Well, maybe it's a hellbender.
What's a hellbender?
It's kind of a cross
between a witch,
a demon, and an apex predator.
They live off the fear that
pumps through human blood,
which gives them
exceptional power.
[Officer laughs]
They've been around
since the dawn of time,
and they're still evolving.
[laughs] Young lady, if you
don't become a designer,
you should become a writer.
All right, deal?
All right, ladies.
Take care of
yourselves out there.
Have a good one.
[leaves crunching]
[wind howling]
[tense music]
- [wind howling]
- [water lapping]
[tense music]
[dramatic music]
[tense music]
[clock ticking softly]
[tense music]
A worm?
You want to go back
to moss and twigs?
I mean, it's baby food.
Why don't we eat a frog?
Or a hedgehog?
Or we can just go out
for burgers. [laughs]
[gentle guitar music]
Help mine.
[gentle guitar music]
I listen to your lips,
I listen to your eyes
I listen to my head
and everything inside
I don't want to hurt,
I just want to drive
I don't want to hurt,
I just want to drive
Everything you said to me
Was empty as a
bubble in the rain
Your promises
were meaningless
Especially bearing
mysteries full of pain
I love you so much, I
could just eat you up.
If you break my heart,
I'll devour you.
I don't want to hurt,
I just wanna ride
Hey, Izzy, I know you're pissed.
Let's smoke a peace pipe.
This is my special stash.
[lid clangs]
Maggots?
They're so small.
[huffs] But potent.
They can't be that
frightful though.
Oh, they are the great
death feeders of the world.
Think about the
lifecycle of a fly.
A fly feeds on death,
plants its eggs there,
and then within that death
comes rebirth, maggots,
which then feed on death
until they turn into flies.
Then the whole cycle
starts over again.
How magic is that?
And these babies were chowing
on one of the deer I
found in the forest,
which looked like it came
to a pretty terrifying end.
Trust me, there is
plenty to get ripped on.
[teeth crunching]
Try one.
[teeth crunching]
[Mother screaming]
[Mother grunts]
Let's fly.
Come on, let's fly!
It takes a lot more
than maggots to fly,
you greedy cunt! [laughs]
Then you can have
your useless maggots!
[Izzy spits]
[alternative rock music]
[Mother laughing]
[both laughing]
[Mother spits]
[both laughing]
[alternative rock music]
Oh my god!
[energy whooshing]
[energy whooshing]
[energy whirring]
[energy whooshing]
[smoke whooshing]
Bitch.
[alternative rock music]
Have you been in my dreams?
We would make a great team.
[alternative rock music]
Oh, I don't feel so good.
I need a shower.
That was fun.
[groans] Yeah, but we
cannot do that again.
That was very, very bad.
Tell me about your mom.
She was a monster.
She ate half a village.
They were children.
My friends.
She felt so guilty, she
sewed her mouth shut.
Did she starve to death?
No.
She was hanged.
A waste of rope.
So, then how'd she die?
The way all hellbenders die.
Spring eats winter,
winter eats fall.
Fall eats summer.
How old are you?
147, I think.
How old are you going to be?
You tell me.
[wing howling softly]
- [doorknob clicks]
- [keys rattle]
Hey.
[wind howling]
What are you doing here?
I just wanted to apologize.
How, how did you
know I work here?
[dog barking]
You're stalking me.
- Fucking psycho.
- Hold on, hold on.
I just want to give you this.
What is it?
It's your bikini.
Thanks.
Thanks for letting me borrow it.
No problem, hellbender.
Sorry for being such
a weirdo last summer.
It's cool.
Can you believe what
happened to that guy?
What guy?
The guy who chased us.
He got attacked by
some wild animal.
Oh.
That's crazy.
I was hoping nothing
happened to you,
even though you were
being a nutcase.
Well, thanks for the bikini.
Oh, I almost forgot.
I want to give you these.
Barrettes?
They're yours.
I kind of stole them from you
when I first met
you at the pool.
You know what,
back the fuck off!
- [box rattling]
- [dog barking]
[wind howling]
[tense clanging music]
[footsteps pattering]
Hey, Izzy!
Iz?
[tense music]
[doorknob clicks]
[door creaks]
[footsteps pattering]
[ominous piano music]
[soft chanting]
[door shutting]
[footsteps pattering]
[doorknob clicking]
[eerie whirring, buzzing]
[eerie whirring]
[distant roaring]
- [soft chanting]
- [eerie whirring]
- [air whooshing]
- [Izzy growling]
Hey, Mom!
You want to hear something
I wrote for Hellbender?
[wind howling]
Okay.
There was a wolf who
longed to be a sheep.
So, she cut her claws
and cracked her teeth.
She buried deep
the wolf beneath.
And when she bore a cub,
she raised it as a lamb.
She cut its claws and
cracked its teeth.
She buried deep
the wolf beneath.
But when the lamb
grew, so did her claws.
So, did her teeth.
And the wolf ate her mother
who was just a sheep.
You like it?
[wind howling]
Hey, did you meet
my friend Amber?
She's still alive and
she's scared shitless.
[Amber groaning]
[eerie piano music]
- [Amber groaning]
- [knife squelching]
[Mother screaming]
[Amber whimpering]
Cheers.
[eerie whirring]
[eerie growling]
[tense music]
AMBER: Please!
Help, help!
[footsteps pattering]
[tense music]
[Amber whimpering]
[tense music]
[eerie whirring, buzzing]
[lid creaks]
[liquid splashing]
[eerie whirring]
[ominous music]
[liquid dripping]
[Amber whimpering distantly]
[Amber muttering indistinctly]
[Amber whimpering]
[Mother groaning]
Help me.
[eerie music]
Help!
[eerie music]
[Mother groaning]
MOTHER: Fuck!
[eerie music]
[Mother groaning]
[liquid dripping]
[liquid splashing]
[Amber muttering indistinctly]
[liquid splashing]
AMBER: Help, I wanna go home.
- [objects crashing]
- [liquid splashing]
[tense music]
Help. [sobs]
I can't, I can't move.
Is she here?
Please help.
I can't move my body.
Please help. [sobs]
Help. [sobs]
Help me, help me,
help, help. [whimpers]
Please help.
Let me out, let me go!
Don't let her do this to me.
Please don't leave me.
Don't leave me.
Please don't leave me!
Please, help me please.
[water dripping]
Hey, Mom, that's
my friend Amber.
Remember, we met her uncle
in the woods that day.
I think you dusted him.
[air whooshing]
Ooh, I like that trick.
It's a great one to do
right in front of people.
It just fuckin' paralyzes
them with fear, like Amber.
I saw you take a taste.
- No.
- Izzy...
What, what have you done, what?
What is this place?
My happy place.
I'm not gonna let
you kill this girl.
I'm gonna save her
so I can save you.
[chuckles] Save me from what?
[amber groaning]
Izzy, I just wanted to save you
from the hell that I've known.
I just wanted us to be...
AMBER: Please!
People.
People?
Like the people
you've kept me from?
Like Amber?
The people that believe
in good and evil?
God and the devil?
If they want to believe
in hell so badly,
I'll give 'em hell.
AMBER: Let me go!
Izzy, you're good.
I raised you to be good.
Not evil.
I saw the book.
The blood, the bodies,
the babies, the terror.
I listened to your secrets
and I watched your dreams.
I know the truth, Mom.
I did what I was taught to do.
And you denied me that right.
[scoffs] Right.
To be a tool for the
hands of hell. [laughs]
It's not a gift, Izzy.
Then why was it given?
[water dripping]
I know the only way
a hellbender can die.
Winter eats fall,
fall eats summer,
summer eats spring,
and spring eats winter.
Did your mother
sacrifice herself or?
I think I know.
Watch out, Mom.
You might turn into
a real hellbender.
[Mother groaning]
I know you're in there.
Show me.
[Mother groaning]
Let me see.
[Mother growling]
There you are.
You're so beautiful.
Thank you.
Now, it's my turn.
I'm not afraid of you, Izzy.
You will be.
- [flames whooshing]
- [Mother groaning]
[Mother whimpering]
Help, please help me. [whimpers]
- [Amber screams]
- [head crumbles]
[Izzy roars]
[ominous music]
[water dripping]
Don't, I'm not ready.
I'm not ready.
I'm not ready.
I'm not, don't.
Mom, I'm not gonna eat you.
I'm not ready to have
a little hellbender.
And I love you.
I'm going to town,
you need anything?
MOTHER: Bass strings.
You got it.
[eerie clanging music]
- [thunder cracking]
- [Izzy screaming]
[hard rock music]