Hot Takes on Horror - Hellraiser
by Elizabeth Ivy Trail
Embedded Files
Introduction to the Hellraiser Series
Hellraiser is a franchise that is deeply important to me. Clive Barker's original book, Hellbound Heart, is my single favourite piece of literature ever written, and its 1987 adaptation, Hellraiser, directed by Barker is excellent in the same way. The Cenobites, especially Doug Bradley's Pinhead, work beautifully as representations of desire, and perfectly fill the role as a tool of both the protagonists and antagonists. The second film is on par with the first, adding themes of trauma and mental health which blend excellently with the mix the first film established. Generally, both are downright incredible and some of my personal favourite pieces of art.
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
The third film is also full of great ideas, but lackluster directing, odd handling of the setting, a messy script, a downgrade in effects, and lower quality acting lead this to be the first actively bad entry in the series. The actors had good chemistry, but a bad script and worse direction prevented them from shining. The effects weren't awful, but they are nowhere near as good as what the first to had, with goals just as high. The film has interesting elements of spectacle, with plenty of interesting deaths and climactic moments. The setting feels butchered, making the Pinhead little more than the devil, instead of as he was in previous works, a demon to some and an angel to others. The movie does have interesting new themes, most notably dreaming, the horrors of war, and connection, but they are all rushed or poorly conveyed, with the film failing to tie them together. Overall Hellraiser 3 doesn't succeed as a film, as a horror film, or as a Hellraiser film. I give it a 4/10, being a bad, but not awful film.
Hellraiser (2022)
Hellraiser films continued to go downhill, but the 2022 reboot was a breath of fresh air. The film was a brand new adaptation of the book Hellbound Heart, and took it in a different direction then the original film. The acting is excellent, with Jamie Clayton taking up the role of Pinhead and making it her own. The effects are outstanding, looking real and brutal. The machine inside of Voight is the perfect display of these elements, the machine is exquisitely detailed, and sold excellently by his actor, Visnjic. The story takes the setting in a new direction, which I unfortunately cannot reveal without serious spoilers, but I can tell you it is excellent, with the Park Scene and Van Scene both being terrifying. The movie gives me hope for the future of the series. I'll give the film an excellent 8/10.
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