Hellraiser (2022) - Movie Review

Chris Stuckmann reviews Hellraiser (2022), starring Odessa A’zion, Jamie Clayton, Goran Visnjic, Selina Lo, Hiam Abbass, Brandon Flynn. Directed by David Bruckner.

[@Chris_Blaze94]

Most of the time I feel like a movie being unsettling rather than scary is better. If a movie is just "scary " it's only scary in the moment, whereas if it's unsettling it stays with you over time.

[@jscho8674]

I agree 100%.

[@marcus2fashion]

Like the VVitch and it Follows and other great titles

[@barb0za0]

like se7en, i still think about that all the time

[@TheCHEESEG]

Agreed.

[@Bat_Boy]

The only movies that “scared” me was Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the Exorcist, and Black Sabbath.

[@cbrdealer]

The part where they are in the van and it starts separating while they were driving... That was an amazing scene.

[@raymoon439]

That was fucked up 😆

[@RAIDOVERMOSCOW1]

Probably the most Hellraiser-y part of the movie. Nightmare material.

[@RaveGamer519]

I said the same thing!

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

That was an unsettling scene for sure. The idea that you aren't even safe when speeding away in a van is definitely scary. That almost had a The Ring vibe to it.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

I loved the functionality of the Lament Configuration changing shapes and the different rewards given to you depending on which puzzle was solved.

[@emcsquared8681]

Unsettling or disturbing is many times better than just gore jump scares. The green inferno wasn’t scary but it was disturbing af and I loved it.

[@J.X.Sanchez777]

So you're saying that Hellraiser 1&2 were mere gory jump scares???

[@emcsquared8681]

@@J.X.Sanchez777 I don’t remember me saying that.

[@Crazea]

@@emcsquared8681 Haha, I liked green inferno too, but a lot of people didn't and I don't understand them.

[@honeybadgerjay1724]

Lol but this film has unlikable forgettable characters, plus too many shit horror film tropes

[@Kungztashi]

I hope they make green inferno's sequel, the movie was underrated af

[@consistentlystupid4726]

Jamie Clayton as Pin Head/The Hell Priest is so good. She had a nearly impossible task of trying to live up to Doug Bradley, and I feel like she knocked it out of the park.

[@johnhatchel9681]

*He

[@johnhatchel9681]

@@lapetitefee Never LOSER hahaha

[@darrenyoung3102]

Apart from anything else about this movie, can we all just take a moment to appreciate how bloody amazing Jaimie Clayton was as the Hell Priest. Her presence was immense, her stature, her movement, beautiful, terrifying, soft spoken, deceptive, angelic and demonic. Blew me away.

[@Kylopod]

And one thing I reflected on after watching the film was that I never compared her in my mind with Doug Bradley-I accepted her performance on its own terms, without even setting out to do so.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

She still didn't have the presence or authority of the original Pinhead. Something about having a female was offputting to me. It sort of ruins the character.

[@Kylopod]

@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 I suppose it's subjective whether a female Pinhead works for you (I didn't mind), but I should point out it's somewhat faithful to the original book (The Hellbound Heart), where the character is described as androgynous with a feminine-sounding voice.

[@lumisussy]

I felt the same way but didn’t think it was due to the character being “female”, I think it was because Pinhead was more of an observer/arbiter in this one.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

​@@Kylopod That's interesting. I still got the impression that they tried to do the source material justice, but maybe i'm just attached to the old version.

[@MikeJw-je4xk]

I would have LOVED to see both Prey and Hellraiser in the theatre. Pinhead and the Cenobites were absolutely fantastic.

[@bobbyvelveteen]

Imo this Hellraiser underscores the theme of the human experience and how that shapes a person's perception of pain vs. pleasure. I really loved how this movie examines pain beyond physical, like mental and emotional anguish, and how something like regret has potential to be some of the worst pain a human can feel.

[@Skullkan6]

FINALLY SOMEONE GETS THE THESIS OF THE MOVIE!!!

[@pooter420]

Jamie Clayton was in every way my favorite part of this movie. Everytime she was on screen, my eyes were glued to her. Amazing performance.

[@davidsmarrt4049]

I think this movie was done very well! The lead actress was awesome and the pinhead actress did a great job!

[@smashing559]

The lead actress??? Did we watch the same movie?? If you think movie was very well I’m pretty sure you think mean girls 2 is a great movie.

[@TheArkhamPool]

@@smashing559 I agree she was honestly terrible.

[@abbyanderson2463]

@@smashing559 she ate it up y’all are being miserable for no reason

[@milkcatdog394]

I think some parts she was pretty good and others I thought she was aight

[@TheBlockbuster1982]

So pinhead is a girl now 😂😂😂😂

[@delaneystorm]

I get scared so easily and can’t watch horror movies alone at night… except for a copy of Hellraiser II that I found on VHS as a 12 yr old and snuck into my house. For some reason these stories by Clive Barker have an elegance in my eyes. Excited to watch this one.

[@V3ntilator]

The only movies that ever scared me were "Aliens" and "The House of Usher" as a kid. lol No other movies scared me ever again.

[@HomeworkRadio]

Wait...its a movie! I thought it was a series 😳 my excitement level just went up a notch.

[@horselord7648]

Hbo max is developing the series

[@stefalim]

@@horselord7648 Hope they will take the anthology road.

[@jennyk9748]

If you're a fan of Clive Barker's work then you know that there really isn't a limit to how far you can push the depravity. It's never gratuitous, though.

[@budthechud9795]

Well with him being a depraved dude himself into sado shit it ain't surprising.

[@Spartan-oj9dc]

I never found the original movies that gory or disturbing ,the movies were well made at least the first two were . The depravity could have been considerably more , like the books .

[@mattlombardi54]

I agree 100%

[@Vesuya]

Or maybe it's all gratuitous and you just don't have any moral compass

[@BP-dn9nv]

If it got gratuitous it would be no better than the Human Centipede.

[@Bigandrewm]

Also cool to find out that Clive Barker managed to regain his copyright over Hellraiser - so it's likely that this will reflect in higher quality films/projects.

[@S1llyD1lly]

But he kills off Pin Head in The Scarlet Gospels?

[@JBCultRecaps]

This is a paycheque for him and nothing more

[@andysalter7192]

Is that a recent thing? Cause if he has had it for years then he has let it turn into a joke ! Really the only one that is Great is the first one , the second is pretty close and I like the third but it's a shadow of the first . The rest are horrendous! I do think the second one is pretty underrated and has this warped Dream like quality to it that I have always loved.

[@S1llyD1lly]

@@andysalter7192 He wrote The Scarlet Gospels as a sequel to The Hellbound Heart which is the book Hellraiser is based off of. He said himself that he was tired of people taking the IP of Pinhead and absolutely butchering the premise behind the original two Hellraiser movies, which are the only two Clive considers to be cannon. So, he wrote The Scarlet Gospels to put an end to it, and in the book literally kills off the character of Pinhead.

[@MyLibertyTV]

@@andysalter7192 he only had creative control over the first two movies, so yeah all the bad sequels not his fault.

[@prophetofhorror]

I think unsettling is the perfect word to describe this new Hellraiser, from Pinhead to the tension that builds in the film. To me It was also interesting how as the layers were revealed, that Reilly as a complex and troubled character made her choice. I would like to see the direction the next film takes, should they decide to do it.

[@direcircumstances]

I have been *thirsting* for a good Hellraiser reboot ever since I watched the excellent video about the history of the Hellraiser franchise made by the youtuber In Praise of Shadows. There are so many interesting themes and in Clive Barker's original work that really got pushed aside as the sequel films progressed, and the cenobites just turned into generic torture demons rather than mysterious, chaotic-neutral-esque representations of the human Id.

[@EarthsGeomancer]

🥛🥛🥛🥛

[@hollyroxy25]

You should also check out the KZbin channel “Mr H reviews”, he has a lot of awesome Hellraiser content

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

I really am looking forward to this film. It already sounds far better than the last two Hellraiser films. Those two felt very amateur and low effort

[@markpugh6808]

@@CoOlKyUbI96 the previous 4 before them sucked as well and bloodline wasnt that great either only the first 3 are any good out of previous 10 films before this latest one

[@SuperLarrythompson]

You're the reason movies that don't need remakes get remade. Thanks

[@TheFreezer33]

Im not a fan of horror movies but man I love this time of year for your channel. These reviews are always so fun.

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

You know what else are fun? Horror movies.

[@LuisSierra42]

Chris said this year will be good for horror, i think both in movies and in the real world as well

[@burlhorse61]

wont say i'm a fan either-but i've watched some good horror movies.loved 'hereditary' and 'get out' amongst others.i think if there a very good reviews of a movie i'll watch it

[@Mirristal]

@@burlhorse61 imagine putting get out in the same sentence as hereditary

[@deusex3124]

Pretty wild that the new Hellraiser is going to be streaming on Disney+ in some places. After sequels with scripts so bad that Doug Bradley refused to play Pinhead again it's good to see a new Hellraiser that actually lives up to the name with a new Pinhead and has the enthusiatic approval of old one.

[@chr0me3ye]

Did doug bradley turn this one down too? Man looks so good he wouldve completed it.

[@WastedPo]

It always seems insane to me that movies like Hellraiser and Starship Troopers are on Disney Plus in countries other than the U.S.

[@I.____.....__...__]

@@chr0me3ye It's no longer about the script at this point, Doug is just old now. It's one thing for Angus Scrimm to have played the Tall Man until the end because the character was old, but Pinhead is immortal, so it would require a lot of makeup and shadows and CGI to have Doug keep playing Pinhead (assuming he even has the energy). Even Robert Englund has hung up his glove, and he already used makeup and masks. 🤷

[@examiningkubrickphilosofia1530]

I love Doug but the director basically spilled the beans and said Doug cared about the money Which is fair he's undervalued - true the scripts were crap But Doug scoffed at being paid nothing and walked -sorry that's the truth

[@GabePickles3837]

I think it’s due to the film being available on Hulu, which is owned by Disney, and it is distributed by Disney Platform Distribution. That could mean that the rights to the film belong to Disney.

[@bambino100011]

I really liked the actress who played Riley. I thought she sold her character of being an addict and also paranoid. She did a fantastic job. I agree about the gore…. I was hoping for more … but none the less, I was happy to see this film.

[@bendoverson4738]

Just saw the film and I'm not sure I like it. I really didn't like the whole sacrifice thing. You open the box, then the cenobites should take you not someone you stabbed with it. It's not the hands or blood that summons them, it's desire. Riley being annoying character was just a cherry on top.

[@robertfitterman3777]

I read Hellbound Heart and am a fan of the first two movies. To be honest I never saw any of the other sequels, but have heard they were not very good. Saw the trailer for this one and was really encouraged, since Clive Barker got back control of his franchise. Prey was surprisingly good, so I am excited to see this one!! Hulu, keep on surprising me!!

[@SilviaVanThreepwood]

Hold your horses there, you've not seen it yet...

[@keldorthebluemack]

@@SilviaVanThreepwood Everyone says it's good so far who has seen it so it is encouraging I think

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

The third film's not so bad.

[@potatoman7357]

1 - 5 are good, I really liked Inferno, using the prop hooked whip from the body mod shop to strip the flesh from that guys back, nice. Anyways, I’m looking for a lettered edition of the Hellbound Heart and The Scarlet Gospels. I have a copy of the 500 limited edition copies of The Scarlet Gospels, mine in “CB” of 500. What I’m looking for is one of the 26 lettered editions. Have you ever heard of either of these books being sold anywhere?

[@Argaroth666]

I've only seen 1 through 4 and I really like the second movie which develops the mythology. I never really liked the third and I have a soft spot for the fourth, even though it was butchered during production. After that, didn't even bother trying to see them.

[@BriGuyIT]

The one thing that bothered me is that in the opening scene, the guy is lured into opening the Box and is instantly taken by the Cenobites. In Hellraiser 2, Tiffany is lured as well but Pinhead realizes that she has been manipulated and stops the other Cenobites from harming her.

[@milkcatdog394]

Yeah for sure. You had to have intention to seek pleasure. In this case the puzzle has to feed so intention is out of the window

[@aaronnilestoussaint5672]

Ok literally 😂 watched this for that reason making sure I didn’t forget that part

[@animeotaku307]

To be fair, the rules for this box are different. In the original, solving the box summons the cenobites and, in their minds, tells them “I’m interested in what you have to offer.” In this film, the box is used to sacrifice others to get an audience with Leviathan and ask for a boon.

[@roanbaylon9100]

yeah that one to but also the lead character was also got cut by surprise just by holding the box idk if that's just me but I think she wasn't supposed to get cut by the blade. Most of the victims were not even curious of solving the box they just got their blood on it which is sad like her brother and nora.

[@bajscast]

Well, in Hellraiser 1, Kirsty just solves the puzzle and then the cenobites come to torture her until she offers them Frank, she didn't desire it there

[@YetiEx]

Nice! Always love the Halloween specials!! Hopefully we can hear more about your movie during this spooky season!

[@marcio_engineerdeveloper9736]

At first I thought that new Hellraiser would be a remake or reboot, but I was wrong. According to the own director this movie can be considered as a spin-off or just a story told in a parallel universe somehow connected to the main one. This means they may consider that the original movie from 1987 is irreplaceable, so it makes more to create something new and not exactly a remake. At least I am pretty sure this movie is good because the director is great.

[@MrFurious176]

I liked it quite a bit. I had 2 issues though. I wasn't thrilled with the new Pinhead. What made Doug Bradley's Pinhead so terrifying was the commanding voice and presence he had. He was almost always front and center. The new one was too soft spoken. I kept having to turn the volume up because I couldn't hear what she was saying. She also just hung back and stood there most of the time. I didn't find her scary or intimidating at all. The design though of her and the cenobites was definitely fantastic. The other thing was the slow burn of the gore. Hellraiser was famous for level 10 gore being in your face right away. The fact that they kept cutting away from the deaths in the first 2/3rds of the movie drove me nuts. Ultimately, I still like the new direction and think it's a great foundation to start a new series of films.

[@josephfrechette9916]

Nobody can do pinhead better the Doug Bradley. His short part in hellraiser deader made the whole movie come together. However I kind of liked the way pinhead was done in this one. It allows the humans to come across stronger. I particularly liked Roland. I'm sure most people have had experiences getting what they wanted but ended up suffering more getting our desire then we would have if we never got it. I hope that if they make another hellraiser it will explain how pinhead went from being male to female.

[@bandit_six5418]

Who would have guessed it’d be Hulu actually doing sequels/prequels/requels the way their franchises and fans actually deserve? Hope they keep it up. Also, SUPER stoked for this years Halloween special!!

[@jgalvan09]

they keep this up rumors about Disney buying hulu might come true one day, I use hulu for sports but they're crushing it with content so far

[@amy_yoshikawa]

@@jgalvan09 in Japan, few of the Hulu horror and action movies were released in Disney+ like Fresh and Prey. It wasn't in Hulu.

[@TypeLproductions]

They should make a terminator movie and make it low budget sci fi horror like the first one

[@mrcodyjmiller]

@@jgalvan09 Disney has majority owned Hulu since 2019.

[@miketysonclips6157]

@@jgalvan09 they have Hulu already that’s probably why the production value on the movies they’re remaking are so good. Who would’ve thought Disney would be behind good reboots for horror movies 🤣.

[@220nowlater]

I just got done watching this and I couldn't agree more. I watched it and was left with the feeling that it was good but something was missing. I agree, the lack of supporting cast connection and the lack of Hellraiser level gore are the only complaints I have. The twist was very interesting. I had a good feeling that was the way it was going to turn out though.

[@SebastianCoDe]

Now seeing your review made me realize that this movie made me forget about the gore that the franchise brought at the time and immersed me much more in the story and what happened in the movie. And for me that is a good thing.

[@deanrob9]

Look, I am a true Hellraiser fan I and II. I was not impressed tonight with this version. And the biggest reason? 1.) Cinematography. The subject matter here is sooooooo specifically dark, they couldn't apply the right mood to the whole movie to give it an ominous feeling. 2. ) Sound production - a pale copy of the originals and details that make an experience, from creaking wood in a house when Cenobites are arriving to the dark bell sound (a light sampled copy this time around) 3). Mix matched acting talent and direction - the new pinhead was ok, but didn't fully intrigue me and this Cenobite crew felt weak, especially their procession. not as elegant as the original at all. I rewatched I and II in preparation for this one. The soundtrack was absolutely epic, the concepts (showing Pinhead's creation and ending with "the suffering, the sweet, sweet suffering" that was ART!) Tonight was made for TV that felt a bit dated for 2022. It's sad. I was looking forward to being excited again. Funny the opening scene with the transaction for the box felt serious and led me to believe the movie had promise, then it quickly went downhill.

[@givemeliberty700]

I never watched the originals but I can say that I agree , the music was off and didn't convey the creepiness that the show I felt was trying to embody ,n now you point it out there was some mis matched acting lol ... Imma be real tho that main character has some DSL's

[@Malkiore1]

This movie was very good though I did not really like the 6 different puzzles but I can live with it. They say this is basically a re-adaptation but personally it fits nicely as a Sequel to Hellraiser II Hellbound. I mean Pinhead and the other cenobites were killed which would explain a new Pinhead and new cenobites and even gives us a reason why the puzzle box has changed. The new Pinhead could have done it. Plus in the stories, sequels, comic books, we always get a Chatterer in some form or another. Chatterer even has another Chatterer with him in some other formats. So despite it being a re-adaptation it still fits nicely has a sequel to Part 2. Hell you could even make it a sequel to part III if you wanted to. Either way it is a great movie and I loved it. The Female Pinhead was awesome but I also LOVED The Gasp which was the other Female Cenobite. She was beautiful and had some sweet lines in the movie.

[@Skullkan6]

The trick is despite what 2 would have you believe, Chatterer is a class of cenobite, not one.

[@sskunky6934]

The lament configuration puzzle box has an endless appetite.

[@johna4371]

Same director as The Ritual? That was one of the best horror flicks in recent years.

[@azmainzakaria2177]

All I wanna know if Motorhead's Hellraiser is played in the credits 😤

[@tumblingworm737]

They play Ozzys version

[@rumrunner8019]

The issue is that the original Hellraiser was all about how pleasure and pain are basically the same thing and how the Cenobites weren't really the bad guys. The evil characters were the humans, like Frank Cotton. The Cenobites only came when called and took people to the realm of pure pleasure through pain. Instead, we have this flick about monsters torturing people without any of the psychology of the original.

[@ArtofLunatik]

have you seen it yet?

[@rectumm]

@@ArtofLunatik i think he means the other "not so well made" sequels

[@JWadGallery]

I didn't get that at all from this film. To me, that's exactly what they were implying. That certain words mean the same thing, and that you should be careful what you wish for

[@zonastarwars4397]

They completely destroyed the mythology of the original. The first one was simple, you open the box > cenobites give you the experience of pain and pleasure > you die. This one is basically collecting the dragon balls to make a wish. It has nothing to do with exploring the further regions of sensation. The worst part for me is that solving the puzzle box doesn't really matter anymore because the only important step is stabbing someone with the knife. Anyone can literally solve the box and then stab a random person, and the random person will be the one punished wtf? Not only that but they can also stab cenobites? It makes no fucking sense, you can pretty much farm cenobites until you get the wish.

[@rumrunner8019]

@@zonastarwars4397 That's what I'm saying! Hellraiser was originally about S&M on a whole new level. If anything any remake should have played up the pleasure aspect of it, and how Hell is simultaneously ultimate pleasure and ultimate pain and how the Cenobites are just the ones who do what humans call them to do and its the humans who are screwed up. Like remember how they didn't take that mute girl from Hellraiser 2? Now it's just some generic monster movie crap and it's about as sexy as flossing teeth after eating pork chops and as scary as a 45 year old grade school teacher dressed as Elvira for Halloween.

[@TypicallyUniqueOfficial]

I watched it over this last weekend. As a huge fan of the first movie, I think this one out did it. The original is still an amazing movie, but it’s more contained. That’s not a bad thing, but when thinking of how well the new movie is executed on the scale/scope it was done is just amazing. It felt like a more grand experience, and executed well.

[@HatoBumpkin]

"2022 is going to be one of those years people talk about when it come to horror." In 5O years when people are discussing the impact of the horror genera, literally no one will say anything about 2022 lol.

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

No one? Really?

[@BANExLORD]

My wife and I are literally losing our minds over this movie. We can’t wait!

[@UndeadEggmiester]

I'm glad to hear this is a good movie because I was hoping for it to be good. I series will always have a special place in my heart.

[@deanrane1961]

Finally! Even if this doesn't bring Hellraiser back to all it's gory glory, after all those horrible sequels it's good to hear this has some quality for those of us who've been hanging in there.

[@Dr3amR3almStudios]

Good review. I felt the same way. Great film. Could have been more darker and grotesque but they covered all the basics and respected the lore of the franchise. That's more than what any Hellraiser fan could hope for. It doesn't suck at least.

[@seanryan3020]

2022: The Resurgence of Things That Don't Suck!

[@milkcatdog394]

I think the scene with the girl Noel? Was pretty gruesome lol but ya I suppose Hulu didn’t want to push it too much

[@sauronthegreat5799]

I loved hellraiser. I met Clive barker in the mid 80s and I still have his autograph on the Books of Blood anthology. Also too a pic with him.

[@Rebazar]

Your mention of Barker's damaged characters reminded me of Lord of Illusions, a movie no one ever talks about that I'd love to see a review of

[@fandomgaymertransgirl2.0]

Scott Bakula is in that movie. He's great in it.

[@virginiageschwindner492]

Lord of Illusions, Raw Head Rex, Hellraiser 1 and Hellraiser 2, are all very good movies. Visually stunning with gut punches to the senses...........Clive Barker does horror so well.............

[@cheezeofages]

Other than feeling more like a 90s slasher horror movie and not being scary I thought it was pretty fantastic. It had flaws, but I thought it was well-written, decently acted, and had amazing design and effects. You could tell the makers really wanted to do justice to the property.

[@sinelizwimsengana5908]

I never watched the first Hellraiser movie, This was my first Hellraiser movie and it was really good. Not knowing the Original and watching this without expectations and remake logical understanding, made it a suspenseful and quite thrilling experience where to much gore didn't matter cause of the overall concepts of hell and how blood doesn't bleed there. And the deeper meaning of living on earth being a greater hell then the thrill of gaining your pleasure prize from the lament configuration at the end stages with its allegorical themes on self loathing and suicide survival.

[@DiscipleToki]

I loved it, as a fan of the ip including the book, Jamie's Hell Priest was an amazing character and I think the closest anyone has ever portrayed of an accurate Pinhead from the initial book.

[@johnmccarron7066]

I got the feeling they were trying to play it safe with this movie, and I'm OK with that. The series was floundering, and this felt like it got the ship heading back on the right course. I hope it gives on them confidence to be a little more daring with the next one if they continue the series.

[@c.h.y]

I absolutely love the opening for your Halloween special videos this year!

[@The_Original_LBSwanson]

Great review! Also, I was terribly disappointed that Prey didn't get to go to theaters. I would have gone to watch it for sure, had been planning to until I realized it wasn't going to be an option.

[@johnDingoFoxVelocity]

She was scary as hell 100% loved her

[@simonesmit6708]

Hopefully it's good. Although I don't bother with streaming services. I used to watch hellraiser every Christmas. My tradition.😁

[@harryboi8485]

Chris, I love the fact you mentioned the sorely underrated ‘The Ritual’. Would love to see a review of it from you ❤️

[@reidal666]

The ritual is even better than the new Hellraiser

[@NerdLifts]

The accurate depictions of the cenobites always had them acting as though they weren't punishing their victims. They don't differentiate between pleasure and pain, and treat it all as experience. The people who end up in the hands of the cenobites should be people that are naturally heading in that direction due to their own depravity. The poor depictions of the cenobites treat them like Jason going after random people with weapons.

[@rumrunner8019]

Exactly. The Cenobites were always "angels to some, demons to others." Now, they're just generic horror movie demons.

[@Skullkan6]

The cenobites in this are more of a religious order, servants of the hell priest rather than ungainly gods.

[@Heauxsome]

Solid 6/10. I think you pretty much touched on all the areas I had a problem with except Pinheads voice. In the beginning it worked but the more you hear it the less effective it is compared to the original but all in all pretty decent movie.

[@charliedavidarnott1537]

As far as I have seen, in almost every good horror movie or novel, you really do not see the antagonists that much. That is what makes the most effective horror stories, in my opinion. This film had that in spades.

[@enman009]

This new movie/sequel/remake/HD whatever is better than every Hellraiser sequel, by a landside. Not that is an impossible feat, but this movie is genuinely entertaining and feels so fresh in its style and presentation. Sure, it's no masterpiece or anything excellent, but it is a well done unsettling film with great atmosphere and truly impressive sequences (the van scene and the sky being highlights).

[@Mankey619]

First a new Hellraiser and now a new Halloween movie is coming out this year and this month of Halloween. I really love this month.

[@Kayjee17]

I would love to see what Mike Flanagan could do with free rein to make a Hellraiser movie or series. I think he could make the concept interesting again vs the increasing downturn into boring stupidity the studio movies have become since the first one.

[@TrupimOkiemTV]

New Hellraiser exceeded my expectations! I like old movies in this franchise and I'm Clive Barker's enthusiast. I really dig his writing manner. Also I'm watching closely what David Bruckner is doing - for me he's one of the most interesting voices and eye in modern horror. Ssso, I knew what I was waiting for and I knew I'd like it but HOLY FUCKING HELL! I couldn't peel my eyes off of Cenobites designs. Reminded me of "Martyrs" (the original) and I couldn't take that association out of my head for the rest of the movie. Definitely gonna rewatch it soon. And Ben Lovett's score, oh my god. Perfect reimagining of Young's iconic piece. They had such sights to show me and I reveled in them. Scalps off!

[@milkcatdog394]

Yes!!! I thought of martyrs too. This movie def exceeded my expectations and aside from the awesome design of the cenobites I also loved the dialogue from them. Very unsettling in their philosophy about pushing the limits of pain and pleasure.

[@mattlombardi54]

What Chris said about these movies, that they should be in the theaters is so true.

[@stephenryan1912]

I'm a diehard fan of the original, I didn't hate this. Maybe it's because there have been many horrible sequels and reboots, so I'm happy to see something well thought out. maybe it's because Barker was involved. Either way, I enjoyed this movie, I didn't love it, but I'll definitely watch it again.

[@Icarus11000]

The original film is one of my favorite movies ever. I've seen this reboot twice now. While I still like the OG more...god damn, this is a great movie!

[@intheredcold9216]

Disney would love for theaters to go under. Control the supply chain from end to end and you control the industry, from content to price.

[@lyndakorner2383]

That assertion isn't true. The Walt Disney Studios has always been the legacy player that is most supportive of theatrical releases and of keeping their windows long and exclusive. Disney's management has traditionally believed that theatres are necessary to establishing and fostering franchises. Disney also enjoys the most market power of any studio in negotiations with exhibitors, so the company can drive the hardest bargains.

[@intheredcold9216]

@@lyndakorner2383 I don't think u read my whole comment. Own the supply chain....

[@Sriram-ig6pr]

This movie was way better than what I hoped it to be. Well written characters and some characters are already in pain in life, like riley being broke and has issues with her brother. The breathing problem serena has. Very hellraiser ish. And the climax was very interesting. Like how gifts can only be exchanged. And we see it from two perspectives. The difference between the choices of a girl in pain because she hurt others but wants only to help them. She saves Colin in the end, stabs Trevor only because he forced it on himself by trying to grab the box from her. And the choices of an eccentric rich guy who wants the pain to go away but still chooses power cause he is blinded by it his whole life. He completely forgets about the pain he is in when given the option of power. INCREDIBLY CONTRASTING and very well written. And Trevor wasn't your average villain too. He does it because his life is pathetic and wants money. Not because he is a bad guy or hates ppl or wants power. And he does get connected to some characters and tries to save them too in some instances. A nice moral story of dont seek after sensations. Be contend with what you have. Edit: Another interesting thing I found was when she stabs the chatterer cenobite and he is killed with chains and ripped apart, that cenobite never displayed any pain or hurt when the chains were on him. Shows how much pain these cenobites have endured that chains on their flesh is not a pain at all to them.

[@borealsullivan5486]

This movie, despite how well made it was, gave me the same depressing feeling Drag me to Hell did over how horribly unfair it all was. Except this time I was also mad. Because all Riley did for most of the movie was fucking over people who cared for her and wanted to help. Not only did she fuck them over, she doomed them to a fate worse than death. Hell, I was unable to properly enjoy the film because I hated Riley so much. At least in the original (and by that I mean first two movies) people taken by cenobites were peaces of shit that had it coming (Frank, Julia and Channard). But here we have three innocent people who've died in unimaginable agony because one stupid girl was intent on ruining her life and they tried to help. Trevor kinda deserved it, but honestly, it was hard for me to hate him more than that little cunt Riley. So, after all that the ending felt really empty to me. "She learned her lesson and will live the rest of her life in pain and regret" is bullshit. Her life was already fucked up, given enough time she would've ended up in that spot anyway. She's pretty much gotten away scott free when people far better than her paid the ultimate price for her mistakes. I'm mad about Matt death the most. All he did was selflessly help his ungrateful bitch of a sister, and all he gets is living hell and equally ungrateful death, when he had all his life ahead of him with a man who loved him (and would've shared his fate if Riley didn't have an asshole boyfriend at hand). Only for his sister to just ditch an effort to save him in some overdue moment of moral clarity. Even an ending where Matt comes back as a ghoul that needs human blood to survive (similar to Frank) so Riley would be forced to care for him and bear all his deserved hatred would've have been a much more just, if not happier, ending. And a nice twisted allegory of what Matt had to endure, trying to lift her up. Oh, and don't get me started on Vaught. They guy fucks over twice as many innocent people as Riley and in the end gets the ultimate price (look at him at the end: the bastard is as happy as he gets). I suppose that's the point of the movie. But holy hell is it frustrating.

[@Sriram-ig6pr]

@@borealsullivan5486 well said. The lament pain of Riley is nothing compared to what matt put up with. Even if Riley had just listened to Matt in the beginning and not have a relationship with Trevor a recovering alcoholic, all this would have been avoided. We need a sequel to either see Riley grow up, become mature and taken on the cenobites or stay immature and get a bad fate happen to her. Until then this story is not complete

[@borealsullivan5486]

@@Sriram-ig6pr Also, unrelated, but the loophole of cenobites themselves being eligible "offerings" for the puzzle box felt like a plot hole, even though I can't find any fallacies in it. It just seems kind of... "gamebraking". I like to think of it more as a "commitment to the bit" on cenobites' part than a legitimate law of conduct. It almost seemed like Chatterer and Pinhead had telepathic conversation on what to do next after Rikey stabbed him. Something like this: "Did that bitch really stabbed me with the blade just now?" "That she did." "Wow. That's a first one. Magnificently idiotic, but admirably creative nonetheless." "She really is an instrument of disaster, isn't she. Ohh, what a delightful specimen..." "That's great, but what do we do now?" "Well, there's no rule that says she *can't* do something like that as far as I know. If Leviathan won't interfere, we'll roll with it..." "But wouldn't that make us look a little... Stupid?" "On the contrary. I think it will make us look even more ruthless and unforgiving." "If you say so. See you in the next manifestation then." "Adeau." *rips apart woth hooks" P.S. I headcanon that cenobites can't die and in case if they get too overzealous with self-mutilation (or something like this happens) Leviathan can just reassemble them from scratch. Relatively tame "modifications" on Vaught after his ascension compared to other cenobites seem to suggest that he's welcome to add as many more as he likes.

[@Sriram-ig6pr]

@@borealsullivan5486 also, have u seen the rick and morty episode where he destroys cenobites haha

[@borealsullivan5486]

@@Sriram-ig6pr No, I didn't

[@thestreamingmeanie8931]

I really like the changes they made to the box and the way it operates. Also loved all the new cenobite designs save Voight's at the end.

[@RoseShell91]

I liked everything except for the “twist”. Not gonna say. I did enjoy every scene pinhead was in and wish that character got more screen time. Agree it wasn’t scary, but it was pretty. Also agree that Prey should have been released in theaters.

[@Hubris73]

If you like when a horror film goes for unsettling over jump scares, I would be curious to know what you thought of Alex Garland's latest film, Men (2022). I know it wasn't particularly well reviewed by critics or audiences, but I see a lot of parallels between what you liked from this movie and what Garland does in Men. On top of that, I really do think that the film was fantastic despite the poor reception, and it has easily been my favorite movie of the year so far.

[@ALLCAPSKELL]

The last 15 minutes fucked me up. 😂

[@KobatheASMRbiker]

That last act was seriously fucked up....its probably one of Alex Garlands most fucked up kind of movies and trying to figure it all out by the very end nearly lost me, lol. But yeah...its the most ptsd inducing thing I have ever seen, again and again...

[@HeavyProfessor]

Great movie. I watched it on Blu-ray. Looked great.

[@HILAL19564]

Men was frikkin awasome

[@HILAL19564]

@@ALLCAPSKELL where the dude gave birth from himself over and over.. Something like that. The whole movie was a weird ass ride.. In a good way

[@shainewhite2781]

It got universal praise, with critics that it's the best Adaptation of Clive Barker's classic horror film as well as being a close adaptation to his novella, The Hellbound Heart.

[@natelee3075]

Ok. Critics also say the Ring Of Power is quality, and that's obviously bs. Critics reviews mean literally nothing. That being said,I love the original Hellraisers and hope this one does them justice.

[@Chaoitcme]

It is a completely different story from the Hellbound Heart, so not a close adaptation. This new movie is its own thing.

[@gwell2118]

Your honestly not wrong. 2022 Has actually been a huge year for major horror/thriller franchises. With killer entries like Scream, Nope, Prey, Halloween, Hellraiser to name a few all coming out in the same year and having such consistent quality is very rare in the genre. I wouldn't doubt a decade from now it will be looked at as one of the benchmark years in the horror genre.

[@vvsparis]

Agreed. tho Smile > Scream & Nope

[@gwell2118]

@@vvsparis oh yes I forgot about smile. Haven’t seen it but heard very good things.

[@EJH-jn6mo]

Yea I’d exclude Scream from that list. I had to shut that bomb down midway through.

[@sphere5282]

the female Pinhead was awesome, every one of her scenes made me want to say yes to any sensation she wanted to give out

[@DavidLovesMovies]

In Canada, Hellraiser will release on Disney plus as part of Star. It's hilarious and disturbing that Hellraiser is a Disney film in some countries lol

[@lovefaithope7]

I was surprised I liked it more than I thought it was going to. Solid flick with some good tense scenes. Van scene and the last 20 minutes were the best

[@josephfrechette9916]

The ending was amazing. However when I think back on the scene with Roland's "gift" I can't stop picturing it in an add for an IBD medication. Imagine him stumbling around in pain and the voice over goes "does your moderate to sever Ulcerative Colitis feel like a cynobyte torture? Then ask your doctor about colon flab today!" Then it cuts to the scene where the gift is removed and he starts laughing.

[@alwaysxnever]

My only real complaint is that the way the cenobites are shot was disappointing in the first half. I was hoping for better use of shadow and light to obscure the cenobites a bit more at first. I do like ditching the 80's goth aesthetic for a different look. Like using sewing pins and then skin being clothes had to be a deliberate choice. Definitely a solid film where they seemed to try but I wanted them to go further and this makes me excited to see night house.

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

Night House was good. 👍

[@alwaysxnever]

@@theendisthebeginningistheend we shall see. I'm hoping so. Maybe I'll drop a line here to cofirm after I've seen it. Lol

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

@@alwaysxnever It was originally supposed to be a Hellraiser movie, or so I've heard.

[@andysalter7192]

I can't do a Hellraiser without Doug Bradley just like I can't do A Nightmare on Elm Street without Robert England.

[@tugglesthe1st85]

might want to look into Doug's and Clives comments for this film

[@WarrenGdog28]

This Pinhead is actually Cannon

[@BeerGeekNation]

Where did you get that shirt!!

[@constantdoodle32]

Lmao I love the background dude! A good reminder from my childhood

[@XMrCuervo]

I saw this movie and loved it 😊 I just wish they would show more when they where taking the puzzle victims away. You would hear the scream but you wouldn’t see them being taken away.

[@RyanLongArt]

I saw others describing the protagonist as "unlikable", but in certain ways they are in both Ritual and Night House too. We're given enough context to explain their behavior, so we know it's because of things they're going through, not necessarily representative of their underlying personalities. People going through really tough times won't be cheerful and easy going, just the way it is.

[@michaelandrews117]

Yeah Bruckner has a habit of making each of his protagonists really flawed and complex; they're people you wouldn't hang out with in a day to day environment because they refuse to work through their issues in a healthy way *until* the horror starts. He seems to use the horror as a form of character catharsis after a traumatic event - Literally in the case of The Ritual, where Rafe Spall's character has to literally *work his way through* a dark place to reach the light on the other side.

[@theadamblock]

Plus Kirsty isn't the innocent daughter in the novella.

[@Suzanne_sf]

The Night House is unsettling but not scary. I read The Hellbound Heart which I recommend you read if you haven't read it yet. I'm not sure why someone would remake Hellraiser like I'm not sure why Prey wasn't released in theatres as it should have been.

[@Xorxfon]

Hey, I have been subscribed with the full bell for three years. This is the first video that has been shown on my feed for at least a year but this was a refreshing review because you don't err on the side of caution when describing a movie. Keep it up and I will catch up over the next few days.

[@peterherron4222]

I have to say Prey was absolutely fantastic (watched it three times now) and would LOVED to have seen it on the big screen

[@southlondon86]

....Really? 3 times...? But it was cgi trash...

[@stevewilson8733]

@Sir Christofer Braxton you do know hellraiser like prey is a Hulu original and Chris mentions that in the video that would be why his comment is about liking prey

[@MrBrown-jj9bf]

I thought prey was dumb. The rope ax thing and man vs woman was just stupid

[@stevewilson8733]

@@MrBrown-jj9bf some things aren’t for everyone but a big majority loved the movie everyone is entitled to an opinion

[@peterherron4222]

@Sir Christofer Braxton how is personally liking something or pointing out why I made said comment 'edgy.' You've got too much time on your hands

[@Yeaster]

2022 has been the best year of horror in my lifetime. So many decade-defining movies came out in just this year alone

[@GrayWolf5000]

People say this every year about horror. Look at when Hereditary came out. Tell me what has been "decade defining"? Almost everything was a sequel, remake, reboot or retread of something already done before. Don't get me wrong, this year has definitely had some quality horror, but don't act like it hasn't been quality the past 2 decades. Again, tell me what horror movie came out that did something new and will change the genre for the next decade?

[@Daddydaft]

@@GrayWolf5000 Decade defining movies as In movies that will stand out this decade and are signs of good things to come. You know a decade is ten years, and it’s only 2022 right? Movies like Barbarian, Black Phone, X and Pearl, Fresh, Hellbender, Scream, Hellraiser, Smile, Halloween Ends coming out… this year alone has definitely been one of the more memorable years for horror in recent memory. You’re going to compare the year that Hereditary came out (overrated imo) to a year with a slew of high rated horror films? There’s a reason Chris said himself in this video that this year in particular will be remembered by horror fans.

[@WooliteMammoth]

@@Daddydaft Except all those movies from that list that have come out have been terrible. Would be nice to have a well thought out, scripted and acted horror flic, but unfortunately all we get is forgettable fast food junk.

[@athenajaxon2397]

@@GrayWolf5000 X, The Black Phone and Barbarian were fantastic

[@Jaschu-xs9mb]

2022. The year horror went woke. Get woke, go broke. No wonder they're putting these films straight to streaming services

[@FirstnameLastname-qc3xx]

Me and my wife get so hyped for this month. We also have our first child. It’s super challenging but exciting. Best of luck with the movie man.

[@andysalter7192]

I was born on the 29th of October so I love that it's Helloween every year for my birthday. Granted I live in Australia and Australia doesn't really do Helloween, but hope everything goes well for you and your partner! Get ready for no sleep for a year , but it's all worth it !. Though you could get lucky and have a baby that just sleeps all the time. Either way, good luck!

[@Opi_812]

I enjoyed the movie a lot overall but it was immensely difficult for me to empathize with and enjoy watching the lead and her boyfriend. I've known people like that and I have to give tremendous credit to the lead actress and writer for portraying her as a real and believable character, even if I really didn't find any reason to like her as a person. The cenobites and the reworking of the hellraiser lore stole the show for me.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

The movie was decent. I loved the functionality of the Lament Configuration changing shapes and the different rewards given to you depending on which puzzle was solved.

[@pureego1553]

For Prey, I read that there were pre-existing agreements between fox and WB/HBO that the movie would be streamed on HBO Max if it released it in theaters, so that is why it went to Hulu, maybe a similar situation for Hell Raiser? Glad to hear the movie sounds enjoyable though, I can't claim to be a lo g time fan of the series but I appreciate what it does

[@screamprincess_m]

Im SO READY for more Hellraiser. My hellbound heart has been itching for it for far too long! I won't be happy until I'm able to play a cenobite myself- as an aspiring actress, please let this team give us more 🥺 I'm sure all of us would love to be involved 🥺

[@np4231]

I suggest the manga Berserk if you want a hellraiser inspired work.

[@screamprincess_m]

@@np4231 really? I'll have to check it out! Might be a nice edition since I have the Hellraiser comics already 🥺

[@WarPigz0]

Loved the Night House so its great to hear that this one is solid entry.

[@matthewbartke4424]

3:55 "and the cenobites don't really differentiate between pain and pleasure." I've heard that a lot over the years, but I don't recall an instance where they did anything that wasn't considered intense torture and nothing with a pleasurable angle to it or even characters other than the cenobites enjoying it.

[@audiofreak]

I wanted so bad to like this movie. Was so excited, and maybe my expectations hurt things, because I didn’t like this too much. Jamie Clayton was wonderful as was the lead actress, but it felt like another hellraiser sequel that was kinda decent. It wasn’t as incredible as I was hoping it would be. I didn’t hate it, just didn’t love it.

[@canal.do.quintao]

I can't wait to watch the new Hellraiser movie. By the way, you have the DVD of Frailty on your background! That movie is an underrated gem.

[@GlassThirdEye]

This is my most anticipated film of the year. I am really looking forward to it.

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

They need to release it on DVD.

[@termin107]

Personally, wasn't a big fan of this Hellraiser, but I'm glad to see that Chris and many of the people in the comments seem to have had a really good time with it!!

[@lovelybones8179]

This movie was awesome as a stand alone but as a hellraiser fangirl, it fell a little short. As someone who is in recovery, the protagonist Riley is someone I understand but her addiction wasn't really made into an important point, it seems like something they added just to make this character broken but without depth. imo if you're going to have a character with their main thing being addiction, it's gotta go somewhere. I feel like her being an addict was just there to provide a reason for her and her brother to get into a fight. Honestly they could have just nixed the whole addiction thing, as it wouldn't have made much difference to the story. Just feels like a flimsy plot progression tool. I do like the film but i feel like it could have went so much further. Now the story of Roland Voight? THAT was good, I really got into that

[@Alex-cw3rz]

1:36 Not just is at a remake it's originally British and being made by Americans, which often happens as well and often doesn't go well, good to see this one isn't a disappointment though. I imagine this is where the difference in gore levels come from as well.

[@CorbCorbin]

It was Clive Barker’s book, then he wrote and directed the first movie, that’s it. He had no part in the production on any of the other movies after it.

[@iancruz6617]

@@CorbCorbin yea he was too busy and never directed the sequels after

[@TheRumblewagon]

I don't understand the Hulu thing either. I want to see Prey and Hellraiser but I don't want to subscribe to yet another streaming service.....

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

Same.

[@ncallaway9731]

this is the film i have been most excited for this year, followed by the Chucky season 2, so im excited for the positive reviews. cant wait

[@andysalter7192]

There's a Childs Play TV show?

[@marcuscole1994]

@@andysalter7192 yea!!!

[@mohanicus]

the effects make up on those actors that played the cenobites was fantastic work

[@kendrom]

Agreed...very good movie. If I had one criticism (it's a small one), it'd be that the movie ultimately felt like a teen slasher, which was not the feeling around the first two (the two best Hellraiser) movies.

[@jcaashby3]

I would have liked to hear more of her OWN voice then a modified digital version like the did with the original Pinhead.