Movie Review: Hellraiser

credit: Hellraiser

So, who lowered their expectations for this reboot? Personally, the idea of a female Pinhead was an odd one to start with, but whether it’s age or wisdom, or just lack of wanting to fight about trivial matters, this idea became easier to accept a few moments after reading the announcement. It could have something to do with the fact the Cenobites are dangerous no matter if they present themselves as male or female, or it could be that if an actor is worth the effort of giving them a role, then it’s best just to accept it. But this movie didn’t suffer because of the gender swap, and to be fair, it didn’t really suffer to the degree that people might have thought it would. Instead, if it suffered any misstep, it was due to the fact that it did change the story just enough to make it feel different from the original. In some ways, that might have been a good thing, but after quizzing the fans, it might be noted that a lot of people would have rather seen the original story brought to light once again. 

credit: Hellraiser

It’s tough to get behind the main characters. 

This story has always been one that many people can cling to and enjoy simply because it is one that offers a great deal of room for interpretation and stretches the imagination in ways that a lot of people might have never considered. But this reboot offers up a host of new characters that aren’t easy to get behind for a number of reasons, one of those being that Riley, who is a recovering addict, doesn’t really come off as a sympathetic character since, while she might be trying to turn her life around, she’s not exactly open to the fact that her brother cares about her and is trying to put her on the right path. She cares more about getting her way and everyone leaving her alone to do her own thing. But she’s the protagonist, and as such, it feels as though the audience is meant to connect with her. If people do connect with this character, it feels as though it’s on a very toxic level that’s difficult to understand and support. As for the rest of the cast, they at least play their roles and become likable or unlikable as the script demands. 

There was enough shock and awe to go around. 

One thing this movie did right, along with a few others, is to keep the shock and awe coming as the new Cenobites and their dark, sinister appearance made it easy to accept that this reboot might be worthy of a sequel if that’s in the cards. Hellraiser has been known for raising the bar over the years with the blood and guts and the overall terror factor that has turned this story into such a horror legend. But this reboot managed to do enough without using buckets of blood to douse the scene, as there was plenty of bleeding taking place when the puzzle box marked each of its victims, making it clear who was to be taken. Admittedly, this was kind of interesting since the process of picking who was going to go next made it clear that it could be anyone, no matter if they were deserving of such a fate or not. Another thing this managed to do is reinforce the idea that no one is immune in a horror movie unless, of course, they have a serious amount of plot armor. 

credit: Hellraiser

The different configurations become a little confusing. 

It does make sense that something like the puzzle box that’s been such a huge part of the story since its inception would have more to it than can be seen with the naked eye. But talking about one configuration after another feels like something that should have been minimized in the movie simply because too much exposition based around this idea was bound to become a little confusing, as well as off-putting to some fans. It’s a little sad to say that a lot of people simply wanted to see the horror without worrying about hearing how each configuration would affect the outcome of the movie. Some folks might have enjoyed it, but overall, the explanation of the box is usually best left to the simplest terms available. In other words, if you mess with the box, you’re bound to unleash hell. There, simple and neat, even if it’s kind of vague. 

At the very least, the Lament Configuration takes on importance once again. 

Or rather, one could say that the importance of the box remained as important as always since this is one of the most important parts of the movie. The changes to the box aren’t horrible, but it’s fair to say that some purists might have had something to say about this. When all is said and done though, this movie wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t top the original.