It’s been a while since I reviewed an older movie, let alone an older horror movie. And since we are close to finishing the Spooky Season (aka the month of October), I decided to finally start one of the last horror franchises I haven’t seen yet, Hellraiser. Despite its age, I didn’t know much about the movie except for the iconic character of Pinhead. But I didn’t know anything else, the crux of the story (or the franchise); I didn’t know how beloved or not the sequels were; I just knew it’s one of those with many, many, many sequels (nine sequels, one remake so with this original film, it accounts for 11 movies in total). As I write this review, I just finished the fourth one (Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)), but I won’t review them all here, as this franchise already managed to devolve into a mess. An enjoyable, grizzly, R-rated mess, but still a mess; however, the original is worth talking about.
The biggest surprise of the original Hellraiser was the absence of Pinhead. I don’t think this is a spoiler, and he is definitely in this movie, but he isn’t the villain, at least not in this movie. He is treated almost like the shark from Jaws (1975) – you are aware of his existence, and he pops up here and there with his Cenobites, but this movie isn’t as much about him as it is about this family, who seems all happy and fine, on the surface, but there are secrets. Especially with Julia, played by Clare Higgins, we are in for a ride. So, from the start, I was shocked by the unexpected, but I liked this element, focusing more on the characters, building up the story and why we should be afraid of Cenobites.
The film does that well; I liked following this family and loved all the imagery. Speaking of that, I must discuss the main crux of this franchise – the body horror element. I was shocked how a movie from 1987 with all its practical effects can still be as effective now when it’s soon to be 40 years old. The Hellraiser franchise helped define and make this genre more mainstream, without any doubt and therefore, unlike other horror films, this won’t play well with many people. Your tolerance must be high towards hooks pierced through various parts of the human body, tearing it apart, or this near-dead person who slowly grows back, and we can see all the veins, flesh, blood… I am not squeamish, so I didn’t mind all that stuff, and I admired how it still looks great even today, but I totally get if this movie is too graphic for others. If you can watch slashers but don’t like anything more detailed, gory and over-the-top, maybe skip this franchise.
I will admit I don’t think this movie is perfect. I thought there were parts that could have been potentially cut (especially in the middle), and some performances can be a bit over-the-top (I am not going to name any names, Sean Chapman knows who he is). But here is the thing about that, it’s all so delightfully different. Hellraiser is one of those movies that can be described as “vibe”. You can tear it down here and there for some details, but if you accept the atmosphere and the world they built and “just go with it”, you will have a blast. And towards the end, you won’t care about those tiny blemishes; you are fully in this metal, over-the-top body horror movie that doesn’t pull any punches. At least, that was my experience. For the majority of this movie, my rating was around 4*, but the longer the movie played, the more I found myself captured by this world and its unique atmosphere. This is why I love horror movies; they don’t have to be perfect for you to love them; they should make you believe in their world and convince you why their “big bad” is the biggest and baddest of them all. Hellraiser succeeded in this category, as well as its sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). I am not sure whether I would recommend the sequels (at least the two I have seen), but I know my completionist ass will finish this franchise one way or another.
Overall, Hellraiser is a perfectly imperfect movie you will love if you let the movie take you on a wild journey. I admire how, in 1987, when the world was already familiar with Jason, Freddy and Michael, Clive Barker showed up, said: “Hold my meat hooks”, and delivered a character who is as iconic as the most iconic horror movie villains. I would recommend this movie, as long as your stomach can digest body horror pushed to the limits (of what 1987 allowed). Don’t sleep on this movie for as long as I have.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke