Hulu’s ‘Hellraiser’ Has Such Sights to Show You

“There’s so much more the body can be made to feel.”

Pinhead

When Clive Barker’s Hellraiser was released in 1987, it shocked the system. On recent rewatches of the first few installments of the franchise, I found myself wincing as the scenes play out. It was gross, super gory, and more than just a little kinky, and it was an excellent demonstration of how relentless genre films can be. Still, the franchise has earned its spot on lists of wildest horror films. Directed by David Bruckner (The Night House), Hulu’s reimagined Hellraiser strips away some of those elements that made the film stand out in the first place. And while it might be more palatable for the casual horror fan, viewers who cherished the sadistic nature of the original might feel left out of this new world.

Riley (Odessa A’zion) is a recovering addict trying to get her life back on track. She lives with her brother Matt (Brandon Flynn), his boyfriend Colin (Adam Faison), and their roommate Nora (Aoife Hinds). Matt isn’t too happy about Riley dating Trevor (Drew Starkey), who is obviously no good for her. Despite Trevor struggling with the idea of sobriety and goading Riley into relapse, he also invites her to break into a warehouse to steal an abandoned shipment. The only thing inside this abandoned shipment is an ancient puzzle box — the Lament Configuration Box. After a heated argument with her brother, where she gets kicked out, Riley starts to toy with the puzzle, rearranging its shapes. A knife pops, cuts someone, they get taken, and the puzzle changes its form.

The puzzle box calls forth Cenobites, creatures from another dimension. After researching further, Riley and her friends end up at a mansion with the infamous Pinhead and other Cenobites on their trail.

Horror films are an effective tool for exploring various themes. David S. Goyer, Ben Collins, and Luke Piotrowski found a way to craft a screenplay that trades S&M for trauma and addiction, which works not only in this remake but within the genre as a whole.

In some earlier films, the puzzle solving was unrealistic and too simple. Here Bruckner takes the time to show Riley’s concentration. We see the mystery being solved in what feels like real-time because the pacing is patient, quiet, and tranced. We’re solving the puzzle with her — each twist, flip, and turn. Then the blade.

In previous Hellraiser films, we know that had the blade cut her, she would’ve been sought after by the Cenobites. Since it didn’t, she had the option to give someone else over. In the words of Pinhead, “That blade was meant for you…If not you, bring us another.” Cenobites can’t distinguish between pain and pleasure. For them, those sensations and experiences are interchangeable, which is why they do what they do to humans. As said in the original film, “The box. You opened it. We came. Now you must come with us, taste our pleasures.”

There’s a little dead time in the film, particularly when the group arrives at the mansion. But things pick back up rather quickly. There are so many things to enjoy about the film. Jamie Clayton is superb as The Priest (Pinhead). And unlike the first Hellraiser film, this film gave us quite a bit of the Cenobites, including The Chatterer, whose teeth you hear before you even see them. The effects of the chains shooting out of nowhere and puncturing into flesh were highly cool.

Another win for this film is that you can go in blind without any knowledge of the previous films. This film definitely had more information than the 1987 version. Those films focused heavily on desire, and even the lust for power felt seductive. This film still orbited the same thing; only Riley’s desire wasn’t rooted in selfishness.

It seems there was a conscious effort to strip away a lot of the sexual overtures of the horror classic. Granted, I was never a hardcore Hellraiser fan, but considering this was set up to be a remake, I did expect to feel the film a little more. The older films elicited somewhat of a physical response — disgust, arousal (for some), or adrenalin. In that sense, the film felt like it could’ve used a smidge more seasoning.

Still, Bruckner discovered how to straddle that line to still offer horrific scenes in a way that doesn’t completely turn the stomach which I personally appreciated.

However, if you’ve never seen Hellraiser, your experience will likely be entirely different. Who Pinhead was isn’t who Pinhead is now, so this Hellraiser will cater to and create a new audience of fans, which might disappoint the unique fandom it currently holds. Bruckner has a clear vision for the future of this franchise. I’m excited about more installments if this film indicates what could be in store. The dial can only go up from here.

Hellraiser streams on Hulu as part of their Huluween celebration on Friday, December 7.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars