Title: Hellbent
Starring: Dylan Fergus, Bryan Kirkwood, Hank Harris, Andrew Levitas, Matt Phillips
Written & Directed by: Paul Etheridge-Ouzts

Hellbent is being labeled as the first gay slasher flick. I’m not sure if it can hold that claim or not. But I have seen a lot of horror movies and I don’t recall any with all gay main characters. So I suppose it could.

The story takes place in West Hollywood on Halloween. A group of friends who are all male and homosexual are out partying. Unfortunately, so is a serial killer who is targeting gay men.

I’m not squite ure how they figure two kills makes a serial killing and that because the two victims are gay that the killer is targeting gay men. This becomes increasingly odd when the turn around on the case is a day.

The main character, Eddie (Fergus) is assigned to the case. This is mostly due to the fact that he is gay and so might offer insight that a straight person couldn’t. But that’s all I can figure out.

He’s introduced to us at a police station, printing pictures of suspects. He’s asked if he’s fixed the printer by an officer, to whom he replies, “Almost.” He is then called into the sergeant or chief’s office and asked to “work the case”. We find out later he was unable to become a police officer due to an accident that affected his vision, particularly his depth of perception. Yet, we are never told exactly what it is he does do then. Is he the office help desk? Photographer? Private investigator? Why is he working a case when he’s not a cop? We know his dad was a cop. Perhaps his dad was a highly respected cop and they humor the kid. Who knows?

There was an entire chunk of dialogue about how he couldn’t become a cop. All the writer had to do was say, “And that’s why I’m not a cop now and I’m just whatever the hell I am now.” Of course, whatever the hell I am would be replaced with photographer or flier poster-upper or whatever. Whatever.

In addition to that, the killer is never revealed. A motive isn’t even guessed at other than because they’re gay. That’s a rather thin motive. Does he dislike gays because he’s homophobic? Perhaps he’s jealous because he thinks they’re better looking than he is – at least those he targets. Maybe it’s personal and all the people he’s targeting just happen to be gay.

It’s a horror movie, not a mystery. Well, at least I don’t think it was intended to be a mystery. It’s a mystery what the writer was thinking when he decided to leave out the killer’s motive. But my point is that in a horror movie, you’re supposed to know who the killer is. In A Nightmare on Elm Street, you know it’s Freddy. In Friday the 13th, you know it’s Jason (after Part 1, anyway). In Halloween, you know it’s Michael Myers. You know their back-story and why they kill. It’s not about trying to figure out who the killer is. It’s about just seeing who can survive and how those who can’t meet their demise.

Even in the few horror films where you don’t know who the killer is until the end of the movie – you know who the killer is at the end of the movie!!

Perhaps the writer thought he needed to leave it open for a sequel. If that’s the case, then it has to follow the rules of a serial horror chain and you’ve got to know who the killer is. That’s why you watch the serials – because you like the villain.

I suppose he could be trying to break the rules. Fine. So be it.

Aside from those two rather significant flaws, I did enjoy Hellbent. The gore was plenty, the kills original and the characters amusing. I liked the use of hazy cinematography just were it was needed – to create discomfort. I liked the use of red and blue filters – red to symbolize danger and impending doom and blue to give the club scenes a true club feel. It always pleases me to see a lower budget film with good cinematography. It's lacking in so many low-budget films (quite a few high-end ones, for that matter).

One scene utilized the strobe light magnificently. It gave the scene the club vibe it needed since they were in a club. But it was also one of the most shocking kills – of the movie and of any horror film.

I was curious going into Hellbent to see if the rules of a gay slasher flick were the same as the straight slasher flick. I’d say yes. People were killed when they were about to have sex or were doing drugs. No one said “I’ll be right back,” and then didn’t. But there were some close calls.

If you aren’t comfortable with watching two guys make out, then skip this. But if you’re mature enough or open-minded enough not to let that bother you, or if you like watching two guys make out, then there’s plenty of that going on in Hellbent.

And if you’d like to see some serious gore and some pretty zany stuff involving a glass eye, run, don’t walk, to see Hellbent.

Sexual orientation aside, Hellbent is a darn good horror flick.

Grade: B+

In the Detroit area, Hellbent is currently playing only at The Main Art Theater in Royal Oak.