Film Review: "Hellraiser" (2022).

"From the master of horror Clive Barker" comes Hellraiser. This supernatural horror film directed by David Bruckner, written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, and loosely based on the 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart by Barker. It is the eleventh installment overall. A take on a Barker's 1987 horror classic where a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that it's purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.

After the successful release of Halloween (2018), Miramax Films confirmed that it was considering beginning production on new installments to the Hellraiser franchise. This was after numerous attempts to bring a remake to the screen with several writers, directors and Dimension Films. In May 2019, it was announced that Spyglass Media Group would be developing a new remake of Hellraiser to be written and co-produced by David S. Goyer. In April 2020, Bruckner was hired to direct the remake, with Collins and Piotrowski penning the remake. In December, following a legal dispute, Barker officially regained the rights to the property in the United States. By early August 2021, Jamie Clayton, Odessa A'zion, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Goran Višnjić, and Hiam Abbass were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early October. Filming took place in Belgrade, Serbia, with the cast travelling over and taking a quarantine pause that year with the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

The film stars Clayton, A'zion, Starkey, Flynn, Hinds, Višnjić, and Abbass. A masterful and spine-chilling supernatural thriller about living with the most unintentional and horrific consequences, the film is horror that cuts to the very soul through a devastating performance by A'zion and a commanding performance by Clayton. The idea that Clayton should be the new Pinhead isn't obvious, but the film solidifies it as objective fact. Whilst the film never quite nails what made the original such a classic, as well as the make-up effects being spot-on, Clayton gives a performance that could define her career.

What makes the film work is that it's not completely consumed with hitting every single beat from the original. It paves its own gory path, though the spirit of Barker can be felt throughout. Bruckner's spine-tingling horror film is a chilling meditation on greed and addiction that never gives easy answers to these questions. A perfectly functional horror reboot that far surpasses usual dire sequels, prequels and reimaginings that litter the cinema landscape. The film might not stick the landing, but it's an eerie supernatural chiller with an incredible performance from Clayton. The film does pretty much everything a good horror movie ought to do, given that it's a remake and there's only so much innovation we expect. A must watch for any horror fan, the film is a bone-chilling psychological thriller that will make your skin crawl. The film as far as horror retreads go, this movie shocker sizzles as it competently echoes the terrorizing triumph of its lurid legacy channeling wayward chills and spills.

Simons says Hellraiser receives:

Also, see my review for The Night House.