Jacked In Reviews ‘Hellraiser’ (2022)

After a 4 year hiatus, a new Hellraiser dawns on the big (well, depending on the size of your television) screen and we brace ourselves, ready to be immersed in the sadomasochistic world of Clive Barker once again…

We have such sights to show you.

Following the story of Riley (Odessa A’zion), a recovering alcoholic trying to sort her life out, her AA partner and lover, Trevor (Drew Starkey) offers her a B & E opportunity that will hopefully allow her to come into a bit of wealth. Unfortunately, the only reward that awaits them is a mysterious kind of puzzle box. After trying to decipher this ancient device, it isn’t long before evil extradimensional beings begin picking her friends off one by one.

Now, you try your best not to have any expectations and tell every fibre of your being not to make any comparisons. Unfortunately, it seems an almost impossible task when a less-than-memorable title sequence doesn’t even raise expectations, let alone hell…

Anticipation is built before being introduced to the long-awaited cenobites. Sadly, although creative in their design, it is very apparent they are no more than actors in prosthetics, a far cry from their ’80s predecessors. It also seems that ever since the franchise opted to use the cenobites as villains as opposed to umpires and veered away from the intimate setting of the first instalment, the recipe for what made Clive Barker’s original so great seems to have been lost.

Feeling more like that of a noughties teen slasher flick with the underwhelming gore factor, it’s only in the final act does it start to feel like a genuine Barker property. However, the downside to the third act resembling that of an original Hellraiser film – even bringing back the classic score – is the feature no longer knows what it’s trying to be. Is it an original, a homage or some sort of confusing continuation?

All in all, it’s worth a watch as Jamie Clayton truly is the best Pinhead (well, Priest) we’ve had since Doug Bradley and totally makes the role her own. Although, Gary J. Tunnicliffe (makeup effects creator) perhaps said it best about what is required when taking on a Hellraiser movie:

I think there’s a taboo to this material that needs a dark presence or someone with some darkness to their soul.

And sadly, this instalment just doesn’t seem to have that presence.

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