Fantasia 25' Hellcat Traps You in a Feverish, High-Stakes Horror Game - Review

Dakota Gorman shines in Hellcat, a taut trailer-set thriller packed with tension, memory, and survival.

REVIEW: Hellcat (Dir. Brock Bodell) – High-Stakes Horror in a Locked-Box Fever Dream

★ ★ ★ ☆☆

From its opening frame, Hellcat doesn’t waste a second. Director Brock Bodell’s latest genre offering is a sleek, high-intensity thriller that traps you in a game of misdirection and dread. Equal parts psychological horror and cat-and-mouse survival story, the film hinges on its stripped-down setting, grounded lead performance, and narrative sleight of hand.

Dakota Gorman stars as Lena, a woman who wakes up in the back of a trailer with a mysterious wound and no memory of how she got there. Her captor gives her a vague warning—time is running out—but no answers. What follows is a tightly wound, anxiety-fueled descent into Lena’s fractured mind and a buried truth that slowly claws its way to the surface.

Set largely within the confines of the trailer, Hellcat thrives on creative minimalism. The claustrophobic location never feels stale thanks to sharply executed production design (Brian C. Sharon), dynamic cinematography by Andrew Duensing, and smart, layered storytelling from Bodell himself. The camera never lingers too long in one place, constantly shifting perspective as Lena’s grip on reality starts to slip. Memories blur with nightmares, and the film’s pacing rarely lets up.

What really drives Hellcat is Gorman’s commanding performance. She carries nearly every frame and gives Lena a lived-in weight—raw, reactive, and constantly evolving. Supporting turns, particularly from Todd Terry and Liz Atwater, add flavor to the mystery without tipping it into exposition dump territory.

If there’s one place the film stumbles, it’s the ending. For a story built on tension and layered reveals, the conclusion doesn’t quite stick the landing. It’s not bad—but it does feel conventional compared to the bold setup that precedes it. As a result, what could’ve been a breakout genre moment ends in a note that’s a little too safe for its own good.

Still, Hellcat remains a sharp, stylish indie horror with festival buzz written all over it. It’s the kind of thriller that will have fans dissecting details post-screening and debating whether the final twist worked for them. We’re calling it now: this year’s Azrael.

Hellcat earns a 3 out of 5 stars from Horror Movies Uncut. Not quite a knockout, but a tight, memorable ride with a standout lead and creative vision that deserves attention.

Studio: Blue Finch Films

Director/Writer: Brock Bodell

Producer/Director of Photography: Andrew Duensing

Cast: Dakota Gorman, Todd Terry, Liz Atwater, Jordan Mullins, James Austin Johnson