HellBent
Regent Releasing | Release Date: September 16, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
45
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
8
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
VarietyDennis Harvey
A straight-ahead slasher pic with the big difference of an all-gay male character cast, Hellbent is fun -- if minor horror fun -- ably handled by first-time feature helmer Paul Etheredge-Ouzts. Read full review
80
Film ThreatAmanda Reyes
Writer-Director Paul Etheredge-Ouzts has a clear understanding of the beauty of a slasher film. A formulaic genre, it’s not the blueprint that’s important, it’s what you do inside it that matters. Read full review
0
Village VoiceJorge Morales
The scariest thing about Hellbent is that somebody thought making this humorless gaysploitation slasher flick would be a good idea. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
You can be sure that his victims die shirtless, and are as dumb as the hetero dimwits who fell prey to Jason or Freddy, but what you might not expect is that this queer-slanted slasher flick is actually pretty good. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
A hard-charging horror movie with a clever gay twist. Read full review
60
The New York TimesLaura Kern
Because more time is dedicated to crafting authentic, sympathetic characters than the average horror movie, it's easier to overlook the film's often-corny dialogue and so-so special effects. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Apart from the gender twists, there is one notable difference between the traditional slasher flick and this gay take: Here, even the nice boy gets it on. And he doesn't even get punished for it. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLuke Sader
Fairly competent but hardly engrossing. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
There are two ways of looking at Paul Etheredge-Ouzts' thriller, which he is proudly billing as "the first-ever all-gay slasher film." Either it's a truly lousy retread of horror-movie clichés, or it's a mildly amusing sendup of them. Read full review
38
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
There's nothing here that hasn't been done before, and better, in any given "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th" sequel. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
"Make a Wish" (2003) actually beat this film to the gay-themed slasher-picture punch with its story of lesbians on a camping trip being stalked by a killer, but writer-director Paul Etheredge-Ouzts' background in art direction serves him well — his movie wins hands-down for style and attitude. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
This isn't a particularly good movie, and it's offensive in the way mid-range low-budget slasher shows usually are. But it works better than some, largely because Etheredge-Ouzts has a more original slant and a deeper sense of character than horror movies usually allow. Read full review
40
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
This isn't very good--the puritanical impulses of the slasher genre collide head-on with the sweet-butt requirements of gay exploitation flicks--but a gender studies major could have a field day with it. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
It isn't smart or even very scary. Read full review
25
Boston GlobeTy Burr
A genre cheapie from its digital-video camerawork to its Casiotone soundtrack to its bland, buff cast, the movie is a cultural watershed in a dry gulch. Read full review
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