MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Supernatural Horror/Stars: Odessa A’zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Jason Liles, Yinka Olorunnife, Zachary Hing, Selina Lo, Kit Clarke, Vukasin Jovanovic, Goran Višnjić, Hiam Abbass/Runtime: 120 minutes
I think it is a reasonably safe statement to make that there was a period of time fairly recently where the biggest thing to be afraid of in regard to the realm of horror cinema was not if the kills got grislier, the killer got edgier, or even if the nubile and alcohol-adoring teens managed to (inexplicably) get even more idiotic than they were to begin with. Rather, it was whenever a horror film managed to get…a sequel (dun dun dunnnnn!!!). Indeed, be it Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw, Paranormal Activity, or even Friday the 13th to name but a few, there isn’t exactly a harmonious past of horror franchises proceeding to transition from a film that was novel and engaging to delightfully cheesy dumpster fires. With that being said however, there is something that is definitely curious that has occurred here lately in regards to these follow-ups. That being that the image of these sequels has started to take a turn for the better courtesy of the development of a new kind of follow-up known as a legacyquel. A legacyquel, for those of you not in the know, can either be one of two things. Namely either a sequel to a slice of cinema that either omits other follow-ups out of canon or just chooses to conveniently pretend that they simply never did exist in the first place in favor of forging its own path or a sequel in a series where iconic stars from the series’ past return in order to pass the franchise over to a new generation of leads to carry the franchise into the future. Suffice it to say it may have been seen as a risky gamble at one time, but there is no denying that this new era for horror cinema has managed to work wonders with both the new Halloween movies from helmer David Gordon Green, and the 5th Scream from helmers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett respectively. Wonders incidentally that can be attributed to quite a significant extent to the fact that the people put in charge of this distinct pair of franchises are actually phenomenal talents whose takes on the properties are genuinely creative and well done which as a result sees both critics and the general movie going public genuinely enjoy them (surprise, surprise). The reason I bring all of this up is because we can now thankfully see that what turned out so wonderfully for that pair of franchises has now managed to resurrect the iconic franchise that is Hellraiser in an intriguing manner. By that I mean that what film helmer David Bruckner and a talented cast and crew have managed to do here is more than just give us a chilling new entry in this long downward spiraling franchise. Rather, they have also managed to sculpt and mold a new entry that may operate by the ground rules that this franchise has functioned with since the beginning, but then is able to partner them up with a riveting and incredibly well-designed narrative that permits this slice of cinema to gift the fans of this franchise with what they have been wanting an entry in this franchise to be since at least Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
The plot is as follows: A complete retooling of sorts of the iconic 1987 slice of cinema of the same name, our slice and dice of horror cinema here proceeds to get underway, following a crucial prologue that may or may not come into play later on, as we are introduced to our main heroine, a young woman by the name of Riley who is very much at a crossroads in her life. This is because, for all her flaws, this young woman is valiantly and desperately trying to stay clean following a nasty and lengthy bout with certain substances of a tablet and a bottle-shaped variety and is therefore trying to both make something out of the second chance that she has been given whilst also figuring out what this means for her and her boyfriend of sorts Trevor who she first met whilst in rehab. Yet, despite the two seemingly being happy together, we soon see that there is one party who isn’t exactly thrilled about them being together. Namely Riley’s brother Matt who, despite being a bit of a stick-in-the mud type, genuinely cares about his sister and her wellbeing which he is expressing constantly to his loving and patient boyfriend Colin. However, following a particularly nasty row between her and Matt, we see our heroine invited by her boyfriend to assist him into breaking into an enigmatic shipping container, make off with whatever valuables are inside, and split the cash they get for them. Upon breaking into the container however, we see that the only thing inside turns out to be a mysterious (yet also quite familiar) looking box that we see Trevor request for Riley to hold on to whilst he tries to find a buyer. Yet it isn’t long thereafter that we see Riley, while tinkering with the box, solve it and tragically witness as her brother cuts himself on the device which in turn brings forth a group of beings known as the Cenobites and their leader The Priest who then cause Matt to disappear and go…. elsewhere. Putting two and five together, we see that our heroine is soon able to tie her brother’s eerie and otherwise unexplainable disappearance to this enigmatic device and soon recruits Trevor and Colin, with a few others in tow, on a quest to not only find out what this box is, whose possession it was in previously, and if there is a chance to bring her brother back from where ever these things have taken him. A quest incidentally that will not only see our heroine cross paths with the story of a peculiar billionaire by the name of Voight, but engage in a desperate battle for survival against an evil more sinister than anything she has ever known….
Now right off the bat I think it can be safely said that what has made this iconic series work on the level that it ultimately does is because there was never the need for the typical horror elements nor was it content at anything about it being what one might consider “typical”. Instead, this was a film series that dealt with monsters which looked like they just came from a BDSM convention and who operated as providers of some seriously twisted carnal pleasures that definitely would put Christian Grey to shame whilst also showing us a version of Hell that looked more like a horror film take on the David Bowie movie Labyrinth from 1986. Close to 4 decades on however and we see that this film’s crew brilliantly understand that what they don’t need to do with this retooling is do the original one all over again since, with key elements of the narrative framework already being established, that could just see the whole endeavor go off the rails worse than the last few entries already had. With that in mind, we see that the creative team behind the camera decide instead to tinker and expand on some things that the original didn’t whilst also keeping intact the basics that audiences have come to expect (including a few moments where if you listen close you might hear some very familiar music). As a result, we see that this film turns into a fairly successful cinematic juggling act between keeping your mind ever curious on some things whilst also addressing questions that are vital to the story like “Just how is the puzzle box doing all of this?” We also see that the team behind the camera on this slice of cinema does do a few things that are fairly intriguing starting with the fact that there isn’t as much in terms of visceral gore as you might be expecting. Instead, we see that the creative team behind the camera has decided to trade most of that in and in exchange utilize for this entry a legitimately effective atmosphere made up of equal parts gloom, dread, and genuine mystery. At the same time however, it should be noted that this film does have some moments that are fairly bloody that when they occur should make the gore hounds among you fairly content with what is playing out before them. Finally, this slice of cinema also manages to do something else quite distinct and that is it tinkers with both the puzzle box and the iconic Cenobites at the torn-out yet still ferociously beating heart of this story so that they are familiar enough for the fans yet distinct enough that they are allowed to be their own thing as well. Perhaps the best examples of this are not only that we see more features to the puzzle box than we have ever seen before, but also in the fact that there are some subtle design changes to the Cenobites themselves that you will just have to see for yourself. Suffice it to say that the team behind the camera does a wonderful job of paying just enough tribute to Barker’s legacy whilst also being willing to explore this cinematic realm very much so on its own terms.
Of course, the other positive that this slice of cinema has going for it is the fact that the cast in front of the camera all actually manage to do fairly good work with their respective characters. This starts with the wonderful work being done by Odessa A’zion in the role of this film’s heroine Riley. Indeed not only is she riveting, but she also proves to be one of the more empathetic heroines I’ve seen in a horror film in some time due in no large part to the fact that whilst yes she is fairly responsible for everything that goes down in this and yes she can be a bit of a brat at times, but she also is someone who is genuinely trying to make amends for the mistakes that she has made in her life. Suffice it to say that A’zion does a wonderful job of making Riley open and tough in equal measure as she finds herself in conflict with demons of both an emotional and a literal variety. Meanwhile we also see that, among the other members in this cast, that we get a terrific turn here from Drew Starkey. Indeed the character of Trevor is one that is delightfully complicated to say nothing of one that you will constantly being questioning just how much you can trust him and Starkey plays it all absolutely beautifully. It should also be said that, despite significantly limited screentime, Brandon Flynn does do fairly good work as Riley’s concerned yet estranged brother Matt. Finally, we also get wonderful work here from Goran Višnjić as Roland Voight. Indeed it might initially not seem like the biggest role in the film, but trust me when I say that this role is one that grows in importance as the movie goes along. With all of that in mind, you’re probably only wondering just how this film’s Pinhead portrayal given by Jamie Clayton compares to the iconic portrayal given for so long by Doug Bradley. Well, I’ll put it this way: yes there are moments where this performance will remind you of Bradley’s, but thankfully those are few and far between. Instead, this performance is very much its own thing and in that regard Jamie Clayton is actually fairly good. Indeed not only does she stroll her way through this with the style of a malevolent apparition, but is also able with a icy dagger-style glare to pierce right through our human characters and their psyches as she intriguingly ponders these twisted desires they have. On top of that, Clayton’s portrayal may not use the booming voice that Bradley’s did, but I can still say that her quiet yet firm style is creepy in its own right. Suffice it to say that Bradley’s take on the character might always be the more iconic, but what Clayton manages to pull off here is a more than worthy interpretation of the character.
All in all and at the end of the day, there is no denying that the original Hellraiser from 1987 is seen by many as a defining slice and dice of horror cinema that they grew up with and will still turn back to time and time again to watch. At the same time, there is also no denying that the sequels that followed it really did proceed to go downhill in terms of quality though I do have a soft spot for Hellbound: Hellraiser II which I feel is a truly underrated sequel. With all of that in mind therefore, you are probably wondering just where in the world this one fits into things. Well let me see if I can put it this way: no this film is nowhere close to what was brought to the table with the first one, but darn it all if this isn’t the best follow-up to that one that I have seen since at least Hellbound: Hellraiser II. No it might not be nearly as visceral as the other films, but if a film in this series wants to trade a fair bit, but thankfully not all, of the possible gore it could have used in front of the camera for a genuine vibe of both mystery and suspense as well as fairly good work by every department including the cast of players assembled in front of the camera then consider that a trade well worth it. Suffice it to say that it might not be perfect nor do I see this one having as lengthy of a shelf life as its predecessors, but there is no denying that Hellraiser “2022” is one puzzle box of a film that you should definitely consider opening at least once. Just be careful when you do though because after all: you never know who or what might be waiting on the other side for you to do so. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Hellraiser “2022” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
