WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
When there’s a certain achievement or peak to be attained, do you ever get into the state where nothing is going to stand in your way? Without question, you are dead-set, resolved, fixated on making sure that objective and the reward which comes with it will be yours. Then there’s that other person whose self-assured and overtly competitive nature just runs amok on your quest. Brimstone Magazine writer Michael (Justin Andrew Davis) has just this luck. Challenged to come up with a story by their boss, Mr. Bowers (Timothy J. Cox), that is so excellent it will mean a promotion to whomever has the best piece, Michael and the staff set out to compose epic articles, despite the boastful assurance of office hotshot Beth (Ashley Kelley) she has it in the bag. Period.
Undeterred and more determined to show up Beth, Michael struggles to figure out a theme until a chance offering of assistance to a co-worker, Agatha (Leslie Lynn Meeker), leads him to visit her home and be introduced to an unexpected and rather shocking revelation about a “friend” she hangs out with—Ricky (Steven Trolinger), an uncouth, foul-mouthed, straight from the pit demon. Ultimately gleaning the idea to write his feature about Ricky and Agatha’s camaraderie, it seems to bear weight until deeply ridiculed by Beth in the office. Initially changing his mind in the face of rejection, it becomes up to Ricky and Agatha to man Michael up a bit, stick with his original concept, gain the win, and the promotion.
Next, my Mind:
To be frank and completely transparent here, this 26+ minute short film effort from director Foster Vernon just didn’t capture me, moreso due to issue with multiple thematic elements of the story, plus the overt amount of harsh language present throughout. It is understood in the creative process, perhaps, why things are executed the way they are here, which is fine, but again, it all just didn’t translate well for my preferences and tolerance levels. Now, digging deeper, other concepts found here, such as overcoming self-doubt, fears of failure, and standing up for yourself, are worthy messages certainly found within the greater narrative’s intent and delivery. Smoothly filmed and well-acted, the effort, as a film, stands up solidly on those merits and aforementioned morals. While everything is played for laughs, this reviewer just cannot pull humor from the primary, dark plot device/notion that is Ricky and the demonic arts.
From the standpoint of dramatics, however, the movie does furnish some fine performances in total. Davis most definitely embodies the nature of the awkward, insecure, somewhat standoff-ish Michael and his frustrations of being intimidated in his quest for the promotion. Gradually learning to firmly stand up for his ideas and direction, he’s a different character by the finale, and that transformation is well-shown in Davis’ rendering. Meeker is actually quite funny as Agatha, this seemingly innocent and carefree woman whose dark secret belies her calm, smiling, and friendly demeanor, though she is no one to trifle with either, should anyone frustrate her. Trolinger, there’s no denying, certainly brings out the profane nature of an evil creature in his portrayal of Ricky, who impatiently and with great spite begrudgingly unleashes his “wisdom” upon young Michael, while finding many ways to belittle and berate him at the same time.
Kelley’s Beth is a wonderful study in the cocky, overconfident, sassy, and borderline ruthless competitor lurking within a beautiful outer shell. Often too blunt, and not really caring as such, the road her character takes is actually quite interesting as she gets confronted with the reality that she may not pull off the victory, all of her bravado possibly hiding a girl who’s just as scared to fail. Cox, even when only briefly on screen, still manages to take full command of his characters in supporting roles, and here is no exception. In total, and as stated above, “Hell-Bent” wasn’t a favorite overall film for me. Yet at the same time, pointing out the positive aspects that did stand out can perhaps illustrate that one does not always have to like an effort to still appreciate the greater heart of filmmaking behind it. That’s the so-often present wonder of independent cinema, and it’s more than worth taking the time to notice.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
