FANTASTIC FEST 2022 | MOVIE REVIEW: "Hellraiser" - Pain Is the New Pleasure
7/12 ForReel Score | 3/5 Stars
2022 has been the year of horror and Hulu is capitalizing on it with films like No Exit, Fresh, and Prey. They keep the ball rolling here at the peak of horror season with a reimagining of Hellraiser. There hasn’t seemed to be much of a need to bring back the franchise, much in part due to Clive Barker’s incredible work with 1987 original film and its well executed sequel. There is a high standard to live up to. Director David Bruckner teams back up with screenwriters behind The Night House, Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, to take on that difficult feat of honoring the source material while also creating something entirely new.
Riley (Odessa A’zion, Am I OK?) is a recovering addict struggling to get back on her feet. Trevor (Drew Starkey, The Devil All the Time), her boyfriend she met in rehab, thinks up a big score in hopes to end all their struggles. However, all they gain is an ancient puzzle box, which Riley becomes enamored by. Unaware of its power, Riley summons a group of demons with a lust for torture.
Jamie Clayton (Sense8) as Pinhead/The Priest and the rest of the Cenobites are the best part of the film. Clayton is terrific and it’s a pleasure to see her perform. After her success in Sense8, it’s honestly surprising she hasn’t been in more. Clayton has such a strong screen presence, fully investing herself in the character she finds this devilish allure - it’s a pity she’s not in more of the film. There’s a sensuality and grace to Clayton’s Priest that sets her apart from Doug Bradley’s original performance. There’s no need for comparison, she makes Pinhead her own. Even the cadence of Clayton’s voice is intimidating. At the Fantastic Fest Q&A, she talked about how difficult it’s been for her to get roles and it amazes me no one has given her the opportunity to flourish like this until now. She has the talent and power to carry on as Pinhead for the foreseeable future.
The costuming for the Cenobites is horrifyingly fantastic. Designer Momirka Bailovic (Crawl) ditches the black leather and latex for these gruesome skin suits. It’s appalling the way layers of flesh are folded back and stretched in every which way, yet there's a delicate touch. Everytime a Cenobite steps out of the shadows, there's a need to look over every inch of them and admire their dark beauty. I honestly wish the film had more focus on them. Their need to give “pleasure” is much more captivating and interesting to watch than a group of teens running around in a daze; they’re just the bait and the Cenobites are the stars. When the walls start shifting and the lighting becomes drearier the fear heightens as we await their appearance. The overall visuals are stunning and it looks as if a majority of the effects are done in camera. It’s a true pleasure to see filmmakers utilize well proven practical effects techniques instead of solely relying on VFX, an approach that aids in the credibility and longevity of the film.
There’s a sufficient amount of gore, which is enjoyable, but not as much as I hoped for. Fans of the franchise will have a high expectation for the level of butchery and it barely scratches the surface of it. It's enjoyable seeing body parts pulled apart by chains and flesh sliding off like butter, but the scenes are few and far between. The first three deaths happen off screen, and Hellraiser is the type of film where audiences rather see than assume. The film is unsettling, however it didn’t feel as violating as I wanted it to be.
The human cast is really hot, but most of their acting is one note. Riley and her brother Matt (Brandon Flynn, 13 Reasons Why) are in a perpetual screaming match. It comes off as forced and there is minor development in their relationship. There’s not much development for any of the characters. They’re mostly unlikable with little to no redeeming qualities, which made them hard to root for. There seems to be a lack of sophistication in their development, none of them go deeper than surface level, and even some of the dialogue is a bit puzzling. The group feels the constant need to repeat themselves and over explain their trivial actions. The most likable out of the bunch is Nora (Aoife Hinds, Normal People) who does the best she can with what brief screen time she is given. Voight (Goran Visnjic, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) has the most interesting arc, but it’s hardly investigated. Plus the storyline of helping an addict through recovery was much better executed in the Evil Dead remake in 2013.
Bruckner does justice to Hellraiser, but ultimately, I am at odds with the film. I adore the creative team, I’m a big fan of the original source material, and there was much to enjoy, but I feel it could have been elevated. I’ve seen all of Bruckner’s previous works, with The Night House being one of my favorite films of 2021, but there’s a finesse that’s adrift here. Collins and Piotrowski seem to have lost focus when crafting the script, indecisive on if they want to make a horrific body horror film or investigative thriller. It spends so much time in the middle ground that the story crumbles. Riley’s addiction is hardly touched on after the first act and her motivations are overtaken with confusion. There’s this bigger emphasis on supporting cast members, they’re just not developed enough to care about. Not much is known about them other than the little is told during the exposition. The twist towards the end of the film was predictable and not really needed in my opinion. Many enjoyable elements, like Ben Lovett’s spine tingling score, are overshadowed by the story’s misgivings. Then there's the hestiance with the gore. Almost as if the violence was held back in fear of coming off as comical, but over the top torture is a staple of Hellraiser. Let the demons have fun with their victims.
Once viewers get past the first act, Hellraiser is an enjoyable experience that I think horror fans will like. It is my hope though that this creative team is given the opportunity to come back and make another film that’s punchier, allowing themselves to push the violence further, let the story be darker, and develop the film I know they’re capable of. Plus audiences deserve to see more of Jamie Clayton in that chilling makeup. Hellraiser has the elements for greatness, but falls short where it matters most.
Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 0| Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2| Reviewer's Preference -1 | What does this mean?