Director – Brock Bodell (Grief)
Starring – Todd Terry (The Jurassic Games: Extinction, The Winchesters), Dakota Gorman (Teen Wolf, The Wake), and Liz Atwater (Shed, The Legend of Lake Hollow)
Release Date – 2025
Rating – 3.5/5
I try to save some of the more interesting horror films sent to me for review during my annual October horror binge. During the month I try to review all things horror and Halloween while trying not to review every movie I watch. Some Octobers in the past I’ve been able to squeeze in close to 100 films and reviewing all these films is not feasible.
However, I try to work in some movies that I’m really looking forward to watching along with those that fit the Halloween aesthetics. Back during the tail end of summer I was sent the 2025 horror thriller Hellcat for review. This was a Shudder original release and I absolutely loved the artwork for it. I knew it was getting released near that date but decided to hold off on the review until now. Holy fuck, what a movie.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young woman who wakes up in a pull behind camper moving down the road when the driver tells her through the speakers that she was bitten by something and is infected. She doesn’t believe him and suspects that he is some sort of serial killer taking her to her final resting place. We soon learn that she does show signs of being infected by something. The driver is a conspiracy theorist who believes in the supernatural and thinks he knows of someone that help. However, the radio show he put his faith in turns out to be a hoax forcing him to reconsider his plan. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into Hellcat completely blind. I knew this had nothing to do with Dodge or their cars but the title made me giggle a bit thinking about it. Anyway, I went into this one completely blind and found myself fucking loving it. It did take a little time to get going but once it does it delivers.
The acting in this one is great. The cast is small but the performances are not. Dakota Gorman carries the film. She’s solo for most of the film and does a wonderful job. She goes through a wide range of emotions and everyone is genuine. Todd Terry does a great job as well but he is only seen for a short time. He does a great job at conveying emotion with just his voice and when he does make an appearance he nails it. The supporting cast is great as well but these two do an amazing job.
The story for this one is not one that I saw coming and I love how the whole “twist” is literally handed to you on a silver platter at the beginning of the film. The whole werewolf thing is nowhere to be found on the poster and unless Hellcat is another name for lycanthropy that I’m unfamiliar with, then this movie does a fantastic job at hiding it. However, the movie itself is quick to tell you about it pretty early on but it is done is such a way that the viewer doesn’t believe. It even ends on a what if angle. It’s a brilliantly written movie that may just rub some horror hipsters the wrong way.
Finally, the film has some blood and some decent make-up effects but those wanting insane gore and memorable deaths will be very disappointed. Overall, Hellcat is one of those films that I’m thinking about days later. I don’t think it would have the same impact on me if I revisited it anytime soon but I would love to revisit this one in a year or so. I loved it and highly recommend it.
