HELLRAISER (1987)

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HELLRAISER II: HELLBOUND

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HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH

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HELLRAISER IV: BLOODLINES

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HELLRAISER V: INFERNO

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HELLRAISER VI: HELLSEEKER

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HELLRAISER VII: DEADER

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HELLRAISER VIII: HELLWORLD

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HELLRAISER IX: REVELATIONS

THIS MOVIE WAS FUCKING DOGSHIT.

HELLRAISER XI: JUDGEMENT

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HELLRAISER 2022

It’s not uncommon, especially in the horror genre, for a captivating concept to be over-milked, to the point where each sequel is little more than vacant garbage, bare of any love or intrigue. Hellraiser is certainly not an exception to the rule, the prior eight of the original film's sequels being regarded as mediocre at best, and garbage at worst. However, the newest installation of the franchise provides audiences with an overdue breath of fresh air, and a welcomed reprieve from ashcan movies, bad scripts, and worse acting.

Hellraiser (2022) allows for a foreign, yet familiar experience, gazing at Hellraiser through a modernized lens. It’s an aesthetically appealing film, if not a bit too dark at some points, and the set design and practical effects are a marvel to view. The gore is well-placed, and there were a handful of moments that did make me cringe. Although it suffers from the same flaw many other modern films succumb to - being longer than it needs to be - watching it was never a chore. Jamie Clayton provides a delightful and stunning performance as Pinhead / Hell Priest, my favourite portions of the film being the scenes where she was present, and it would be a shame to not see her reprise this role in the future.

The new Box configurations were fresh and interesting. All of the cenobite designs were novel in one way or another, delightful in their excessive mutilations, though lacking the haunting elegance they carried with them in the original. Characters I failed to make any meaningful emotional attachments to made several stupid decisions I quietly griped with during my watching experience, but I've long since learned that that's par for the course in horror movies - almost a requirement for them, at this point.

Still, I am not laden with criticisms for the newest Hellraiser film. I would have appreciated an expansion on the lore, I do wish that the movie itself embraced a more erotic tone, and focused on the "pleasure" aspect of the cenobites more, and I would have liked to see more of the iconic leather we were all so familiar with in the first movies, but Hellraiser, notoriously, is about the different and the foreign, and despite my personal preferences, I appreciate the creative boldness to venture out of the tempting grip of routine — especially considering that the failings of prior Hellraiser sequels have mostly been the result of directors refusing to do anything gutsily different.

Though I have qualms with the ending, I enjoy the definite closing of Riley's character arc, and was delighted to see the Leviathan and its labyrinth onscreen once again. It was not a perfect film, but it was a good one with plenty of positives. It's thematically and tonally a vastly different film from the franchise's first two installments, which I have mixed feelings about, being so very fond of the original as I am. I miss the underlying and chronic sense of mourning Hellraiser (1987) had, and I miss the way it felt like a dream you could watch. They pay homage to a few scenes from the original films, though not gratuitously, unique enough in a way that seems like a faint reminder, as opposed to a pandering fan-pleasing carbon copy.

However, this film deserves to be judged independent of my own nostalgia, and I am not reluctant to affirm that this movie serves as a good basis upon which to build future Hellraiser media, should they choose to do so. I'm excited to fall in love with whatever new they might have in store, all over again. I wish I could have seen this in theaters.

HELLRAISER COMIC THOUGHTS

90's COMICS (MAIN RUN)

PINHEAD VERSUS MARSHALL LAW: WAR IN HELL

2010's COMICS