CNN
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Though the brand new “Hellraiser” is billed as “reimagining” Clive Barker’s 1987 horror movie, it’s not just like the title ever went away, elevating six direct-to-video productions (the final one in 2018) after the 4 theatrical motion pictures. In case you someway skipped, ballpark, 9 of these, this direct-to-Hulu model provides a credibly creepy retelling in an over-inflated bundle that may profit from just a few focused pinpricks.
The movie begins promisingly sufficient, introducing “ER” alum Goran Visnjic, enjoying the standard billionaire with dangerous intentions who seeks to amass a mysterious puzzle field that may used to summon Cenobites, supernatural beings from one other dimension whose ugly appetites are the stuff “R” scores are made from.
The narrative then shifts to Riley (Odessa A’zion of Netflix’s “Grand Military”), a younger lady battling dependancy who winds up stealing from the improper storage facility, thrusting her and people round her (together with her brother) into peril and creating incentive for her to decipher what may be taking place.
First affected by eerie visions, she’s ultimately confronted by Pinhead, right here performed by Jamie Clayton (“Sense8”), who offers a way of menace below what has all the time gave the impression to be the world’s most laborious-to-apply make-up, nonetheless iconic it may be.
Reuniting the staff behind “The Evening Home,” the movie was directed by David Bruckner, with veteran style author/producer David S. Goyer sharing credit score for the story with screenwriters Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. Whereas the plot lastly hyperlinks Riley’s arc to the opening, at a full two hours, the narrative lags because it tries to construct some sense of connection to the supporting gamers, main as much as a chronic climactic sequence that’s characteristically bloody however lower than thrilling, together with what’s maybe finest described as a slow-speed chase.
“Hellraiser” is clearly working inside pretty well-defined parameters, and leveraging 35 years of display historical past, delivers on probably the most fundamental stage by way of particular results and gore, with out – the “reimagining” declare however – bringing a lot freshness to the system. It additionally matches Hulu’s technique of premiering motion pictures culled from well-known franchises, with “Prey” – from the “Predator” universe – among the many latest examples.
For these simply in search of one other repair of Pinhead and the Cenobites, that’s in all probability sufficient to get the job completed. However as soon as “Hellraiser” has made that, er, level, the film feels extra like a snack – or ‘chew – than a meal.
“Hellraiser” premieres October 7 on Hulu.