A hopelessly amateur slasher flick boasting neither clever twists nor explanatory backstory—just a bunch of horny pals getting picked off in bloody fashion by a masked killer—Paul Etheredge Ouzts' Hellbent does have one distinction: everyone stalked by the madman is gay. The hero is a hunky but shy clerk in the West Hollywood police department, who posts warnings around the area about the gruesome murder of a couple in a local park—both decapitated by a scythe-wielding maniac dressed in devil garb—and then goes off to the big costume Halloween bash with his three buddies (one in leather and chains for the evening, another in a cowboy getup, and the third in drag). Along the way the four accidentally antagonize the murderer, who pursues them relentlessly because…well…. Anyone looking for rhyme or reason will be disappointed by this string of genre clichés, cobbled together without any concern for coherence or logic. Ultimately, the only thing Hellbent proves is that when it comes to a slasher movie, homosexual victims can be just as dumb as heterosexual ones. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)
Hellbent
Genius, 85 min., R, DVD: $24.99, Sept. 12 Volume 21, Issue 5
Hellbent
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