Hellraiser (Mini-Review)

Hellraiser is a reimagining of The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker. The novella is what Hellraiser (1987) was an adaptation of. Riley McKendry struggles with her drug addiction. Things get complicated when Trevor, her boyfriend, tells her about a way to get a lot of money quickly. Things get beyond complicated when the Cenobites take Matt, her brother, and she embarks on a quest to save him. Hellraiser was released on Hulu in 2022. It was directed by David Bruckner. It stars Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, and Brandon Flynn.

As a fan of horror movies, I've heard about the great legacy of Hellraiser time and time again. I've watched videos going into detail about the first and second movie. The only Hellraiser, besides the latest one, I've seen in its entirety is the third one. From the majority of the fandom it seems like that's the one where the series started to turn sour. If I ever get the chance to watch the first two Hellraiser movies I will.

The gore in this movie is awesome. There is no looking away from the horror which gave me such a happy feeling. Some shots are just inspired such as when one person's throat is being punctured and it cuts to inside the throat for a brief moment. If you don't like gore you shouldn't watch this movie as it's really intense. Even though it's two horrors long, it doesn't feel that way.

Fans of Hellraiser will probably be wondering how it fares without Doug Bradley aka the original Pinhead. I'm be glad to assure you that Jamie Clayton more than steps up to the task. Her Pinhead appears neither man or woman, male or female. Then there's the fact that her presence is both eerie and terrifying. You know when she steps into view that trouble will go down. But I wouldn't classify Pinhead as evil, more that she has a different set of values. To her and her fellow Cenobites pain is a reward that gives one paradise. Which gives the viewer lots to think about long after the movie ends.

Riley and Matt's relationship is complicated. He tries to help her while she sees his actions as controlling. After she steals the Lament Configuration the siblings have an intense argument. Their last words before he's taken are harsh which adds to the guilt Riley feels. She solved the Lament Configuration and then found herself unable to move. So she blames herself for his disappearance, something Pinhead says wasn't unintentional on Riley's part.

One interesting message I took away from the film is that life is pain and we all choose the type of pain we like. There is no escaping pain so you must understand the kind you want. Pinhead's rewards always have a twist to them, but she always gives the person what pleasure/pain they want. Or what she perceives they want. Well...only whoever is left holding the puzzle box once the final configuration is solved is granted their heart's desire.

I would recommend Hellraiser to fans of the Hellraiser series. I would also highly recommend Hellraiser to horror fans that want a movie with lots of gore.