Hellraiser Review

Having the benefit of a real gruesome figure at the helm of any horror franchise is a sign of just how far said franchise can go. Hellraiser has managed to peddle Pinhead for decades and most of that comes down to appearance. Beyond the solid scares found in Clive Barker’s 1987 horror piece is a character that can survive on iconography alone. It happened to all the best of the genre, from Freddy Krueger to Jason Vorhees, but Hellraiser is a dark horse almost. It is not as though it did not enjoy great success at the time and beyond, but it is a lower rung to that of Michael Myers or Chucky, whose relevance lasted longer. What did not last long though is quality, which Hellraiser has an abundance of. 

Unfaithful unrest and disrepair are the core of Hellraiser, a piece that benefits greatly from Barker’s involvement behind the camera. It is a visually delightful movie that holds within it such unique horror and consistently unsettling moments of tension. Considerably well-understood moments of the body horror excellence are founded well, limited use in the first act soon moves from the Withnail & I living conditions to a tense and disgusting series of visual charms. It is the flair of horror that keeps Hellraiser relevant and there is nothing scarier than a pole adorned with meet spinning around. Surprisingly though, that gore is reserved somewhat, and the self-restraint on display from Barker and his cast shows they know exactly what they need to do to elevate the staples of the genre. 

Animosity stems from the right places in Hellraiser, it is a piece of film that shows its characters adjusting for their mistakes. Barker does so with long-winded articulation that is beautifully shot and well-scored. It is a horror feature that elevates itself far above the stylistic approach of the genre films of the time. Hellraiser is a cut above the rest not just for its horror elements and the ground-breaking fear at the heart of it but because of the artistic integrity it displays and the chilling horrors that are lingering on staircases and just out of sight. Gruelling and uncomfortable sadomasochism is at the core of troubled Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins), and it is hard to remove the sexual drive Barker presents in the darkest corners of Hellraiser.  

Deeply unnerving and equally accessible, Hellraiser is a difficult film for those that are scared of gore or men who enjoy acupuncture. Avoid the excellence of Doug Bradley should both be of concern. Should it be mounted though, then Hellraiser will provide such a monumental piece of horror-clad charm, with its intensely disturbing body horror cutting through with unique vibrancy. Skinless tortures sat in attics, sucking up the faces and organs of deadbeat men chased there by their own desires. Hellraiser is far, far smarter than it is given any credit for. Credit must be given also to Ashley Laurence and Andrew Robinson for their work here, for they are the sincere family-driven core of Oliver Smith’s skinless freakshow, robust with Barker charms and perplexing horror stylings. Houses of horror have never been this disgusting.