FANTASIA 2025: ‘HELLCAT’ Runs High In Tension But Loses Steam

Easily fitting into a couple of subgenres of horror, HELLCAT is bound to be one of the horror surprises coming out of the festival. From beginning to end, writer/director Brock Bodell keeps the tension high, leaving both his protagonist and the audience guessing where the story will go next. While the decisions made in the film’s final act may not land, no one can deny that this film is a star-making turn for Dakota Gorman.

HELLCAT starts centrally focused on Lena (Dakota Gorman), her disorientation palpable as she comes to. Tight shots hone in on her face, amplifying the claustrophobic surroundings she finds herself in. A peephole gives way to darkness, a visual reminder to both her and the audience that she is alone and a prisoner. At least, until a strange, unknown male voice (Todd Terry) speaks through a speaker, spiking worries even further.

The dilemma this voice presents to Lena heightens the stakes further for the young woman. Time is limited, and so is her memory. Despite the voice telling her to remain calm (a phrase that generally triggers the opposite reaction), Lena struggles to be anything but. With the clock ticking against her and control completely wrested away, Lena has to figure out what is going on. If she doesn’t? Well, trouble doesn’t even begin to describe it. 

HELLCAT marks a spellbindingly visceral turn by Dakota Gorman.

The story initially treads familiar territory, a seemingly crazed kidnapper and his young kidnappee. As HELLCAT ventures onward, things shake up, with much centered around the kidnapper and what we learn about him. The woman is the audience surrogate. What information she has, we do, and she doesn’t know or remember much, making this mystery a trickier one to piece together.

Not helping matters is the kidnapper, who does say outlandish things. Despite his assertion that he is a good man, some of his actions say otherwise, and how people react to this man only reinforces mistrust. Bodell casts doubt at every turn, distorting reality to cloud perception and play with assumptions and preconceived notions of these characters.

Part of this distortion of reality is achieved through well-timed edits, stock footage, and the creative and economical use of the trailer space. The trailer is its own world, carrying a multitude of memories of another person’s life. What is a home for one person is a prison for another, and how the set dressing and lighting change within the trailer to reflect its inhabitants’ changing conditions shows the DIY sensibilities and practicality of Bodell and his team. 

The tension runs high, but falters hard in the film’s final act.

At the heart of HELLCAT is Dakota Gorman, who gives an incredibly dedicated and visceral performance as the trapped Lena. There’s no escaping the camera’s locked gaze, and as Lena cycles through rage, trauma, fear, and regret in her attempt to figure out her situation and how to escape, Gorman pulls us in for the ride. And as Lena’s circumstances grow increasingly dire, we’re right there with her in hopes that she may be able to escape whatever is actually going on.

Equally impressive is Todd Terry, who spends the bulk of the film providing voice acting. The cadence of his voice almost lures a person in, evoking the fatherly tones of his character but also hinting at the danger he can deliver if crossed. Despite the drastic measures taken, he’s just a man who thinks he’s doing the right thing, and as his story unfolds, we begin to understand the grief and regret that fuel his path. It doesn’t make it right, but desperate people do desperate things.

As things escalate further, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine what is actually happening, making for a wild ride until the film’s final act, where Bodell stumbles. Newly introduced story elements and characters greatly detract from the film’s rising tension and almost end up unintentionally comical in execution. The story’s conclusion likely could have arrived at the same place, even if these more distracting elements had been removed. As it stands, the execution of the film’s final act is more of a letdown than the anticipated walloping finish.

Even still, HELLCAT has a lot going for it to make many horror fans happy. The constant state of ambiguity and stress-inducing secrecy that permeates the film keeps emotions running high. Dakota Gorman and  Todd Terry work well off of one another, with Gorman giving a physically commanding performance that demands attention. Unfortunately, the finale undercuts the full impact of what the film was building up to.

HELLCAT had its world premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.