Petey (Deke Garner) is in a rough spot. His two older brothers have started a fire in the driveway, and they’re threatening to burn his favorite stuffed animal. That is, when they’re not just screaming like wild animals. The baby sitter (Karinne Berstis) has been duct-taped to the side of the house, and it appears that no help will come… until Dad (Jonny Mars) arrives home, takes in the situation and then brings the boys inside for their a*s-whuppings.
Since Hellion is only 6 minutes long, to say too much more about the story is to ruin much of the fun, so I’m just going to keep it at the above. Hellion is a well-lensed short that manages to keep you guessing for most of its runtime, ending in a most memorable fashion, making you wish the film would keep going. The film also pulls you into its environment in a subtle, convincing way; it’s a challenge for feature films to do, so it is all the more impressive when a film pulls it off so adeptly.
