Hell Bent

Running time: N/A

We've come a long way from the end of innocence, when the refrain from Bye-Bye Birdie playfully asked, "What's the matter with kids today?" Sadly, it's been a dismal descent in the wrong direction. And no film depicts that depressing state of affairs better than the confrontational Hell Bent. A trio of bored, but otherwise normal appearing fourteen-year-olds wander aimlessly around suburban Winnipeg, looking for trouble. Marty is a sweet-looking little terror with a sewer for a mouth and an insatiable appetite for senseless vandalism. His pal Andy, a tow-headed lad of questionable intelligence, tags along with Marty like a lost puppy, joining in the "fun" just for something to do, while Leslie, a disturbingly impassive Madonna, chain-smokes on the side-lines, awaiting her opportunity. With boundless energy, but no direction whatsoever, these children vent their considerable rage on the hapless victims of their community where no one tries to stop them or even seems to care. Their deluded sense of self-importance is further reinforced as the violence of their acts escalates, inevitably culminating in a horrific display of murderous mayhem. Ironically, these youngsters are not the products of some slum-ridden inner-city; they are the offspring of your next-door neighbor; they are the kids just down the block. Kozak's story grabs you firmly by the throat and refuses to let go, dragging you down into the shadowy chasms of these young hearts. But like Leslie's blank stare, the film draws no conclusions and refuses to pass judgment. Instead, it takes us to an underworld that is unsettling but at the same time, all too recognizably human. It's there we need to decide for ourselves. Through the frightful gloom of this modern horror story, Kozak reminds us that the dark side of our souls, regardless of how old we may be, resides in everyone. And it's much closer to the surface than most of us are willing to admit. --P.D. Crane