Hellraiser (2022), released on Oct. 7th, marks the eleventh installment in the Hellraiser franchise. The film, which is directed by David Bruckner (known for the Netflix horror filmThe Ritual), attempts to put a fresh spin on an overtired, critically suffering series. The outcome is overall unsatisfactory albeit fun to look at. The film feels tired, riding on the tails of an over-saturated franchise with very little new ground to cover.
The story begins with a young man attending a wealthy person’s party and being led to a back room full of esoteric artifacts for a meeting with the billionaire host. Inside the room, the individual finds an alluring item covered in strange markings. The host of the party informs him it’s a puzzle, and solving it will win him a prize. Those familiar with the franchise will recognize the lament configuration immediately. Therefore, it’s no surprise when the young man solves the puzzle, gets stabbed by a hidden blade triggered upon completion, and gets attacked by the legendary Cenobites (the franchises primary antagonists; once human creatures dedicated to a life of torturing others in a supernatural realm). Hooked chains launch out of nowhere and suspend the young man in the air while the billionaire bows to his knees believing he’s won an audience with God. Spoiler alert, the situation doesn’t bode well for anyone involved. This sets the general rhythm for most of the action that takes place within the film. The action scenes are gruesome and the art direction is creepy, however, the film is shockingly free of any genuine scares.
Where Hellraiser succeeds the most lies within its visual effects. The design of the Cenobites is familiar, but executed with masterful precision. In comparison to some of the blockbuster productions we’ve seen coming from Marvel lately, it’s great to see a special effects team being given the proper time and budget to create incredible creatures that fit seamlessly into the fictional world. Additionally, the CGI moments where Leviathan-sized machinations fall out of the sky, stairways into Hell open up in gravel roads, and bathroom walls transform into the interior walls of Cenobites’ torture chambers are done amazingly well.
The cast play their roles well, and it’s nice to see Brandon Flynn outside of 13 Reasons Why. The choice to cast Jamie Clayton as Pinhead was also excellent, as this version of Pinhead feels much more accurate to the androgynous character described in Clive Barker’s original novella, The Hellbound Heart.
Unfortunately there just isn’t enough new ground to cover in the story to justify a resurrection of the franchise. After ten previous instalments of watching people solve puzzle boxes in hopes of experiencing otherworldly sexual pleasures, only to end up chained and tortured by sadomasochistic demons, the horror loses it’s effect. Despite the incredible visuals, good acting, and higher production budget, it still feels like the franchise is beating a dead horse. There are some fan theories circling the internet saying that this new version of Pinhead is canonical to the first film, with the character Kirsty taking over the job from the original leader of the Cenobites. However, these are just theories without any confirmation. Overall, the story falls flat. Maybe it’s time to put the chains down and let our torture fiends take a breather. Surely they get as tired of exerting the same violence over and over again as the viewers get from watching it.
Kellyn Kavanagh (they/he) is a local writer, photographer, and musician. They first started writing what they now know to be flash fiction stories in the third grade when they learned how to make little books with a couple sheets of printer paper and a stapler. Their work typically focuses on non-ficiton journalism, short horror fiction, and very depressing poetry.
