Written and directed by Brock Bodell, a woman wakes in the back of a moving camper trailer with a badly infected wound. A voice from the truck towing it tells her they must reach a doctor within the hour, or she’ll suffer a horrific fate. Starring: Dakota Gorman, Todd Terry, James Austin Johnson, Liz Atwater and Jordan Mullins.
Brock Bodell kicks Hellcat off on a nicely ominous note, something that serves the film well all throughout. The writing then moves gradually but decisively, bringing through notes of conspiracy, paranoia, and plenty of foreboding. It progresses well in the sense of holding your attention and adding to itself, but with a bit more patience, it could have held out for a bigger punch. There’s also a good sense of humour in the mix, but comedy isn’t a tangible element of the film, which is a missed opportunity, black humour would have gone so well with this story, especially as Dakota Gorman delivers some decent sarcasm and bite.
Gorman is a big part of what makes Hellcat work, she gives you someone to invest in with Lena, she gives her a decent personality, a good amount of strength and resilience, and she feels genuinely capable. She’s immediately trying to work the problem, which is always a great addition, rather than simply screaming for help or being helpless. She gives an enjoyable performance, but it’s Todd Terry who’s the surprise here, with an unexpected, complicated character. Not something you typically find in this type of film, and certainly not to the extent of a high brow drama, but the layers are there, he creates an interesting character who has possibly the most satisfying arc of all of them.
Visually it’s hitting the right notes, there’s an edge of darkness, which the colours really embrace. The atmosphere has plenty of tension and suspense, and Bodell does a great job of using that closed in environment. There are some interesting creative choices in blending Lena’s memories with the trailer rather than using simple flashbacks, which works surprisingly well. Although, there’s relatively minimal violence, and not all of it takes place on screen, so if you’re looking for blood and guts, this isn’t the one for you, this is more about the mystery than vengeance.
Hellcat is a solid outing, the progression could be better, and the story could have expanded a little but it’s entertaining and worth the watch. Dakota Gorman and Todd Terry both give great performances and it’s satisfying to watch them battle it out, and Liz Atwater rounds out their trio really well. There are enough elements continually added to hold your attention and if you’re worried about this being all in one location, it does venture out further than you might expect, so stick with it. It’s a sound debut feature from Brock Bodell, it has a clear style, it has creativity, it moves well, and it’s well casted.
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