When Larry (Andrew Robinson) and Julie (Clare Higgins) move into the old family house, they don’t know that Frank (Sean Chapman), Larry’s brother and Julie’s lover, will soon return from the dead and hide upstairs. It is left to Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) to deal with murderous Frank, traitorous Julia, and the demonic cenobites who are unhappy with Frank’s escape from hell.
One of the best horror movies, Hellraiser changed the genre. Before it, there was a string of Satan-themed fright films, but after it “evil” could come in more ambiguous and varied forms. Writer/director Clive Barker invented his own mythology. That mythology has stuck with me since first viewing, presenting more successfully than any Lovecraftian movie a vision of things best not seen.
Frank spent his life searching for something “more,” something truly exciting, and found a puzzle box that opens gates to worlds beyond understanding, worlds no one would want to understand. The forces on the other side of those gates are not traditional devils and have honor mixed with their cruelty.
The plot is engaging, the acting is excellent, and the camera work is astounding considering the budget, but it is in imagery that this film excels. The cenobites, lead by Pin Head, are makeup marvels. Pin Head has rightly become an horror icon and Doug Bradley’s portrayal, particularly his voice, is perfect for the powerful, amoral demon. When he says “We have such sights to show you,” I find myself wondering how extraordinary those sights would be, and how horrifying. The dangling chains, hooks, and blood add to the atmosphere. On top of all that is Christopher Young’s majestic score. This is gory filmmaking at its best, but not for the easily unnerved. “No tears, please. It’s a waste of good suffering.”
It is followed by the excellent: Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and then by the lesser Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Hellraiser: Deader, and Hellraiser: Hellworld.