Title: Hellraiser
Production Company: Hulu
Director: David Bruckner
Producers: Clive Barker & David S. Goyer
Scriptwriters: Ben Collins & Clive Barker (based on his book)
Main Cast: Oddessa A’zion, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn & Jamie Clayton
Release Date: October 7 2022
Running Time: 121 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Introduction
The 11th film in the Hellraiser franchise packed a punch but how can it possibly compare to the original?
Synopsis of Hellraiser
When a troubled girl discovers an ancient puzzle box she is unaware of the powers it holds and its connections to the underworld.
Hellraiser Analysis
The Hellraiser franchise has 11 films in total, however, the original in 1987 has yet to be beaten. Hellraiser (2022) tried damn hard to though. I am not saying that the original Hellraiser is a flawless film but I absolutely love it. The film was lacking purely due to the decade, which is why I had high hopes for the newest addition. Whilst still being quite entertaining this film was so vanilla in comparison to the original, it lacked a certain quality which made the first film such a cult classic. However I would urge you to watch this more so than the other instalments of the franchise.
SFX of Hellraiser
One thing that this edition of Hellraiser did really well was the special effects. Naturally, blood and gore has advanced since the 80s. Any Hellraiser film would be lost without special effects, the blood and gore being crucial to the story. The original Hellraiser despite the decade still managed to pull off being terrifying and if you’re squeamish any of the films in the franchise probably aren’t for you. The special effects team for this film deserve an abundance of praise, I loved the levels of detail and effort that went into this element of the film. I would have loved to have seen even more blood.
The cenobites were brilliantly executed, both tantalisingly creepy and beautiful. Jamie Clayton made for a great Pinhead, one of the scariest characters in the horror genre. It is hard to not compare the different editions of Pinhead, Jamie Clayton created one of my favourites.
Acting and Characters
Odessa A’zion had left an impression on me with her role in Grand Army so I was excited to see her in this horror. Her character was gritty and I really enjoyed her in this role, she makes for a great horror actress. Her character was different to many female protagonists we see in the horror genre, she was gritty, troubled and made for a really interesting drive for the film.
Brandon Flynn executed his role brilliantly, despite having probably the shortest amount of screen time. Matt is the first character to fall victim to the cenobites so I was disappointed that his onscreen presence was cut so short. Despite his short appearance his acting was great. The relationship between his character, Matt, and Riley (Odessa A’Zion) was a real drive for the film.
An honourable mention to Drew Starkey who I’m betting will be one of Hollywoods next golden boys, he has a great capability when it comes to playing the dark characters we have seen him portray so far. I look forward to seeing him in Luca Guadagnino’s next film Queer.
Summary
This film was one of the better attempts to match the brilliance that is the 1987 Hellraiser. In its own right this film is very entertaining with characters and artistry to admire but Hellraiser (1987) will never be topped.
Notes
Overall Score – 6
Warnings: Violence and Gore, Sex and nudity, Foul Language, Drugs, Freightening
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