These days, it’s not surprising when something with name recognition gets remade, but some things are actually ripe for a revisit. 1987’s Hellraiser, in the humble opinion of this critic, is one of them. While the Clive Barker original that inspired a horror franchise is positioned as a genre staple, it is a frustratingly uneven movie with some arresting ideas and imagery — it’s ideal for a new filmmaker to take another crack at unlocking its full potential. David Bruckner’s new Hellraiser brings the structure that was missing by supplying both a Final Destination-esque narrative engine and actual, comprehensible rules governing its supernatural creatures, creating a sturdier story that’s easier to enjoy. On its journey to the horror-mainstream, however, it also sands down some of those sharp edges that made the original so compelling. Though it risks a slip into fully formulaic territory at times, the new movie is building to a far more interesting endgame than it appears to be, in which all the fleshing out of Cenobite lore and mechanics actually amounts to something quite profound.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

In Hellraiser, a lawyer named Menaker (Hiam Abbass) procures the franchise’s infamous puzzle box for her employer, enigmatic billionaire Mr. Voight (Goran Visnjic). At a party on his estate, Voight tricks a young man into solving it. A hidden blade cuts him, and the box eagerly drinks his blood. As hooked chains fly out from the ether to collect him, the box’s owner demands an audience with a “god,” as if he has now earned that right. Flash forward six years, and the movie’s true protagonist, Riley (Odessa A’zion), is on the brink of a personal tipping point. She is in recovery and living with her put-together brother Matt (Brandon Flynn), who dislikes her relationship with Trevor (Drew Starkey), a man she met in her 12-step program who seems less committed to his sobriety than Matt would like. In reality, Trevor’s even more trouble than Matt suspects — he offers to cut Riley in on a potential score, a shipping container he knows through his job was left abandoned by its rich, anonymous owner. They break in, of course, and discover only a safe-within-a-safe containing the Lament Configuration. Riley, the less likely suspect, keeps the goods while Trevor finds a fence, setting up a far more painful journey than she bargained for.

Related: Smile Review: Horror Film Thrills & Terrifies, But Falters When Exploring Trauma

It is unfortunate that, in the interest of keeping plot specifics obscured, this review must talk around a lot of what makes Bruckner’s Hellraiser most interesting. However, it’s fair to say this movie’s puzzle box is more involved than “you opened it – we came.” Each time it is solved, it hungers for blood, and each time it is fed, it transforms itself into a different shape to be solved anew. As hinted at in the prologue, there is something of an offer for those who can usher it through its six stages without letting themselves be claimed as a victim, the details of which are gradually revealed as Riley is compelled to investigate what actually happened to its previous owner. The Cenobites, too, are expanded upon compared to their 1980s counterparts — not in the sense that they are explained, per se, but given some real motivation. Jamie Clayton’s Pinhead, especially, feels like a real character, through the combined effort of the screenplay and her eerily controlled performance. The Hell Priest’s increased involvement in the third act, as the story reaches its crescendo, is a significant part of why that section really sings.

But, even with the creatures’ gory deforming of the human body, there is something about this Hellraiser that is somewhat tame. Barker’s original is very pointedly perverse and profane, smashing together explorations of pain as a sexual experience and a religious one in a way that feels like a boundary has been crossed. The Cenobites, while thematically crucial, factor less into this feeling of provocation than its human characters do, especially Frank, the twisted human antagonist who spends most of the film’s runtime as a regenerating corpse. It is, after all, a movie in which a murderous uncle lusts after his unsuspecting niece while literally wearing her father’s face. These themes are not stripped from the remake, but they are placed in a much more easily digestible package, sans the juxtapositions of Christ imagery and depictions of grime and decay. It will be interesting to see if this Hellraiser, an improvement though it is as a storytelling exercise, can match the original’s cultural footprint.

Odessa A’zion in Hellraiser

If it does, the ending deserves the bulk of the credit. The movie’s first two thirds are a fun time, but fairly predictable, with the execution of the set pieces outweighing the lack of surprise. Audiences may have been less forgiving had the conclusion followed through on where it seemed to be heading, but Bruckner throws one well-timed wrench into the mix that sends everything in a delightfully unexpected direction. This new Hellraiser proves a little nastier, and more interested in the specificity of its protagonist, than it first appears to be, delivering its most emotional moment exactly when it’s required. By the time the credits roll, it has justified its existence as an expansion of the lore of this intriguing world, and audiences should leave with a newfound appreciation for the power of the Lament Configuration.

Next: Goodnight Mommy Review: An Intriguing Script On The Power Of A Mother’s Love

Hellraiser streams exclusively on Hulu beginning October 7. The film is 121 minutes long and is rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

Key Release Dates