Hellraiser (2022) Review

In preparation for the new Hellraiser movie, I decided to do the unspeakable. Something so appalling that even old Pinhead himself (herself?) would shudder at the thought. I decided to rewatch the direct to video sequels that came out in the 2000’s just so that I can remind myself of how much of a mixed bag this franchise has been. Where I consider the first two movies as being highly entertaining and visually engaging horror classics, the others that followed are…well…let’s just say that there are much more misses than there are hits in the track record. However, I’m happy to have went down that horrendously dull and forgettable rabbit hole in the series as it allowed me to fully soak in the ambitions and attempts at progressing the material. 

What Hellraiser 2 and even Bloodline to an extent has taught me is that this isn’t just some generic boogeyman slasher series existing  in the market of icons like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Candyman, etc.. Hellraiser instead opens itself up to an endless realm of potential in its storytelling and scope as more of a horror fantasy property rich with lore and dark mature themes.

The “monsters” are more so visually striking terrifying obstacles in the world acting as harbingers and consequences to people’s decisions as opposed to just generic crazy killers chasing people. This is what I’ve always found fascinating about this series (at least the better titles). And with the 2022 reboot, I will say this to start off on a positive note, they certainly nailed down that core concept. There are two specific and essential components that I felt this movie got right. First being the nature of the iconic puzzle box opening doors to a wider, mysterious and terrifying world filled with horrifying nightmare fueled potential. The other being the creatures (the Cenobites as they are called in this universe) being absolutely striking indeed in their hellish body horror driven designs. I said this in my trailer reaction and I’ll happily reiterate it here; the visual direction surrounding the new Cenobites are exceptionally freaky.

As a longtime massive nerd for interesting and standout character design, the Hellraiser franchise (yes even some of the bad sequels) have always had that one element going for it. That being the creative way in which the production team presents the most outlandishly grotesque humanoid creatures that they possibly can. The 2022 reboot does not disappoint in this field, and evidently, even succeeds over most of what the franchise has offered prior. I only wish that we got to see more scenes of each Cenobite making their presence known, but from what was given, I really enjoyed it. If I could rate this film solely on the designs of its supernatural antagonists, this would be the easiest perfect score that I’ve ever given to any horror film out there. But alas, creature design isn’t the only thing that needs to be addressed here.

The other major positive as I mentioned is the attention to lore building, and much like the Cenobite designs, I felt this reboot succeeded over most of the previous movies. I really dug the idea of the puzzle box shifting into various shapes to convey different phases and rewards revolving around the demented wish granting nature of the Cenobite’s dimension. This focus on shapes for the puzzle is a new concept that I find fascinating for the franchise just from a visual aesthetic and conceptual perspective alone. It allows for the puzzle box itself to have much more dimensions and character both figuratively and literally speaking than ever before. So with this being fully introduced here, the 2022 version actually  brings something fresh and progressive to the lore that’s worth exploring. However, and here’s where we get into the negatives, I wish we had a protagonist that I could connect to in some fashion or at least found engaging to watch undergo these horrors.

No offense to the cast of the film (there aren’t any particularly bad performances so that’s something of a win), but I found these characters to be generic young adults just waiting to get tossed on the chopping block. Whenever I watch a new horror movie, let it be clear that I’m never really looking for a new iconic hero or final girl with every single title as I’m fully aware how rare these can be. However, at the very least, I am hoping for a protagonist that I can genuinely root for in all their endeavors. Now that’s not to say that I found the characters to be unlikable or anything, but to be honestly, I simply could’ve cared less who lived or died at the end of this. People were either making moronic decisions leading to their deaths, not communicating with each other, or just constantly stressing each other out. There’s just nothing here for me to work with, so what do I do when I’m face with this? I just look forward to the villains to show up. Sadly, the 2022 reboot has that in common with most of the sequels.

As for the story, I wouldn’t say that it was necessarily boring but it’s also not that engaging to boast about either. The idea of having a couple steal the box seemingly being oblivious to its nature then getting thrown into a dramatic mystery due to loved ones going missing as a result just didn’t land with me. I remember the twisted demented love story of the first Hellraiser as well as the labyrinth mythology exploration of the 2nd movie as being narratively intriguing and constantly offering up horror elements for genre fans. With this movie, I think I remember more arguments between characters lashing out at each other in confusion to what’s going on than anything else. Now yes, there is a big twist that happens later on where one our so-called heroes is revealed to have a sinister connection to the box, but by that point, it felt more like a tacked on plot element to liven up on a dull script. There’s also the generic power hungry human villain wanting to exploit the supernatural powers at be only to get screwed over with his ambitions.

All of this just felt like either “too familiar” grounds or not interesting enough grounds to launch an entire new movie with. This is where the reboot suffers the hardest and comes off as just another forgettable modern day supernatural horror flick to catch in a retail video bargain bin. As a matter of fact, the overall look and feel of the film gives off that vibes which surprised me considering David Bruckner who directed The Night House also directed this. A modern day Hellraiser has the potential to look absolutely stunning visually standing out with a sense of cinematic style. Unfortunately, this movie went down a much more barebones directional path instead. The saddest part here is that there’s an incredible, noteworthy, and admirable effort put into the mythology and design of the Cenobites that I truly believe is worth exploring much more in the future. I only wish that same passion and attention was thrown into the entire film’s (emphasis on "entire") presentation and atmosphere.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t by any means a cheap looking movie whatsoever. The dark, moody lighting would occasionally give the Cenobites a very eerie and otherworldly appearance that I really liked in certain scenes. There's also a few instances where the setting itself would shift around much like a puzzle box whenever the Cenobites would arrive making way for some visually interesting segments (especially a scene that takes place in a van). But these are only a couple of moments in the movie whereas the rest of it looks like any other run of the mill 2010's supernatural horror flick with some generic boogyman going around killing idiotic teenagers. I suppose given the iconography of the property, the streaming platform involved that just recently did wonders to another 80's franchise return, and the director involved, my expectations were a tad bit higher.

So with all of that said, unfortunately, I do have to consider 2022’s Hellraiser a little bit of a disappointment. But on the end of the spectrum, I also have to highlight the absolutely incredible presentation and lore expansion of the franchise’s main villains. I can't emphasize enough how much admiration I have for the design work put into this new iteration. Alright, I know what you're thinking, there’s just no possible way that I can discuss this movie and completely gloss over the new Pinhead. I’ll just say this, if you’re looking for a Doug Bradley clone to carry on the legacy then you’re basically trying to disappoint yourself with unfair and misplaced expectations. However, if you’re looking for a new Pinhead that perfectly nails down (no pun intended) the core look and feel of the character, then may I present to you Jamie Clayton who most certainly deserves a huge round of applause. She is by far the best part of the film and unlike many horror reboots and remakes of the past, I am more than happy to see this new interpretation continue on in future installments.

Rating: 6/10