‘Hellraiser’ – a lousy franchise gets a solid reboot
Most horror franchises languish in terrible sequels. Blame it on easy profitability: A recognizable horror brand, combined with a low budget, delivers consistent eyeballs. That’s how something as weird as “Hellraiser” winds up with eleven installments.
Don’t feel too bad if you can’t remember anything about “Hellraiser” besides the face of the franchise headliner, Pinhead. The original 1987 flick, written and directed by Clive Barker and based on his own novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” holds up as a twisted, sleazy/saucy antidote to the slasher-driven decade. As for everything else in the franchise, well, who can even remember?
The 2022 version of “Hellraiser” reintroduces the world of grotesque Cenobites, demonic puzzle boxes and a gender-swapped “Hell Priest,” otherwise known as Pinhead, played here by Jamie Clayton. Directed by David Bruckner (2021’s “The Night House”), this “Hellraiser” follows recovering addict Riley (Odessa A’zion) who, alongside her boyfriend, robs a storage warehouse owned by a rich pervert (we see him, played by Goran Visnjic, in the film’s prologue), a man who disappeared off the face of the earth six years earlier. Riley discovers a mysterious mechanical puzzle box and, oopsie, Pinhead and the Cenobites come looking for human sacrifices.
Riley’s brother, Matt (Brandon Flynn), reluctantly tries to help her only to wind up in the crosshairs of Pinhead’s sadistic games, leaving Riley to negotiate with the Hell Priest. Expect grisly deaths and a few solid surprises.
The horniness of the original “Hellraiser” amplified that film’s hedonistic unpleasantness, something the new film references but steers away from in favor of more traditional “run away from the monster” scares. The thriller elements, however, work well thanks to the stellar makeup deployed on the lineup of new and old Cenobites. Pinhead looks terrific, and her presence is amplified by the icy magnetism of Clayton in the role. The Cenobite known as the “Chatterer” makes a welcome reappearance, and some of the new characters are effective nightmare fodder (though what happened to that one Cenobite with the tiny sunglasses?).
Centering the film on a compelling, flawed protagonist helps the movie through its makeup-free sequences too, as A’zion’s Riley must overcome her indulgent, destructive past in order to rescue her brother and banish the Cenobites back to hell. Easier said than done, especially for someone who relied on her sibling as the only stable force in her life.
Perhaps this new “Hellraiser” (which premiered exclusively on Hulu) will inspire a run of new sequels. Or, just for argument’s sake, maybe a solid reboot nobody really asked for should stop while it’s ahead. Indulging too much into the gnarly underworld of Pinhead and Crew might be a consequence worse than the Lament Configuration.
A brief celebration of Aubrey Plaza
A comedic standout on “Parks & Recreation,” Aubrey Plaza continues to make bold, eclectic choices across all genres, including the recently available on VOD drama, “Emily the Criminal,” a standout at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Some of Plaza’s funniest roles are rooted in steely glares and uncomfortable silence, though recent comedies “Happiest Season” and “Spin Me Around,” not to mention occasional warm moments on “Parks & Rec,” hinge on an underlying sensitivity wrapped inside a defensive shell of abrasiveness.
“Emily the Criminal” provides a totally different challenge for Plaza as she plays a former art student, drowning in debt, who resorts to a few minor acts of credit card fraud. Hindered by a flimsy, unrelated felony conviction in her past, Emily’s only path out of poverty seems to be a criminal life that keeps getting more slippery.
It’s a showcase role for Plaza, who can play a wave of different emotions through small, calculated choices. “Emily the Criminal” is now available on all rental platforms.
Tyler Wilson is film critic and member of the International Press Academy. He has been writing about movies since 2000, including a regular column in the Press since 2006. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.