Hellraiser

"Unlock your fears."

2022 2h 1m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 1,115

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.

“Unlock your fears.”

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Where to watch · US

HuluSubscription

Cast

Odessa A'zion
Riley McKendry
Drew Starkey
Trevor
Jamie Clayton
The Priest
Adam Faison
Colin
Brandon Flynn
Matt McKendry
Aoife Hinds
Nora
Goran Višnjić
Roland Voight
Hiam Abbass
Menaker

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Bruckner
Writers: David S. Goyer, Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 0% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Bruckner, shot by Eli Born. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ben Lovett. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Marks shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Odessa A'zion and Drew Starkey and Jamie Clayton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Unlock your fears.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0887261 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Bruckner directs. Eli Born behind the camera. Ben Lovett scores. David Marks cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 0% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 4 years ago.
3Directed by David Bruckner, shot by Eli Born. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ben Lovett. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor David Marks shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Odessa A'zion and Drew Starkey and Jamie Clayton carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Unlock your fears.".
8IMDB entry: tt0887261 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Eli Born
Original score: Ben Lovett
Editing: David Marks
Production design: Kathrin Eder
Costume design: Momirka Bailović
Makeup / hair: Aleksandra Kaltak
VFX supervisor: Jacob Eaton
Stunt coordinator: Slaviša Ivanović
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $14,000,000
Box office: $10,303
Return: 0% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Hellraiser (2022)

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David Bruckner

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

garethmb2022-10-04
After four theatrical and six direct-to-video releases “Hellraiser” has been given a reboot as a cinematic release for Hulu. For those not familiar with the series based on a story by Clive Barker, it involves a cube-shaped puzzle box that when opened summons demons known as Cenobites who demand sacrifices and promise great rewards to those who summon them. Naturally, their version of rewards is the stuff of nightmares as the line between pleasure and pain for them is even more distorted than their horrific visages leading those who encounter them to plead for death but often face tortures beyond imagination. The new take on the series stars Odessa A’zion as Riley, a recovering addict who is living with her brother and his boyfriend as well as a roommate. Her brother is concerned over her relationship with her boyfriend as he believes anyone she met in recovery is not stable enough to support her in her times of need. Desperate for money; Riley is convinced to take objects from an abandoned warehouse but finds only the mysterious puzzle box which she in time is able to reconfigure to one of the various options it is capable of. In doing so, she summons the Cenobites who promptly take her brother which forces Riley and her friends not only to question her sobriety but her sanity as well. As they attempt to understand the nature of what is happening to them, their investigation leads them to a larger puzzle and encounters with more Cenobites including their leader Pinhead (Jamie Clayton) whose at times cryptic messages can tempt and torment those who try to survive and manipulate the events they find themselves in. What follows is a mix of tension and gore as personal ambitions, survival, temptation, and base emotions are tempted as the characters attempt to understand a complex and rapidly changing nightmare from which there seems to be no escape. While the new version does have a slow and more deliberate pace leading up to the finale, it was engaging enough to hold my interest. For me, the theatrical films became at times redundant as they did not advance the mythos as much as up the gore in an attempt to keep the audiences coming. The fact that the last theatrical release had the Director remove his name from the film shows how things had deteriorated too. The six video releases were hit and miss with Barker no longer being involved and eventually the same for original Pinhead Doug Bradley who no longer wanted to be part of a series where a film was produced in a matter of weeks simply to maintain the rights. This time around thanks to a good cast and effects along with a story that is true to the mythos yet updated and engaging, the franchise has had a much-needed new direction and it will be interesting to see where it goes next as there are already rumors of a prequel in the works. Hulu has done well with their recent “Predator” film “Prey” which has invigorated the franchise and this new outing is not only ideal for their format but a fresh step for the franchise. You can check out “Hellraiser” on Hulu on October 7th.
MovieGuys2022-10-11
★ 4/10
Yes, Hellraiser has had a Disney make over and it shows. I like Clive Barkers work. I've read a lot of his novels and I remember the original Hellraiser films. Frankly, this film does not feel like an adaptation, of his work. For a start, its predictably woke, no surprises there, right? Its cardinal sin however, is dumbing down the lore found in the original franchise and applying the little that is left, in an inconsistent and at times incoherent, manner. The results a borderline watchable affair. Its pretty tame compared to the original flicks and for me, failed to resonate. Acting is alright and as you might expect, production values are decent. That said, the original films are, I believe, considerably better and far more disturbingly horrifying, than this rather weak facsimile.
misubisu2022-12-20
★ 5/10
Not a bad movie... but not a decent movie either. It's not as entertaining as most of the Hellraiser sequels to date. It's predictable, in no way suspenseful and much of it makes little to no sense. It has nothing in common with the other Hellraiser movies and nothing in common with 'The Hellbound Heart' which is the Clive Barker novel that Hellraiser is based on. The original Hellraiser movie was very true to the book and is still by far the best Hellraiser movie with the most suspense, horror and entertainment value. I'm sure we'll see more Hellraiser movies... and I'm sure they will all be uninspiring.