Hellraiser movie review & film summary (2022)

The remaining characters on this new “Hellraiser,” together with Matt’s boyfriend Colin (Adam Faison) and Riley’s roommate Nora (Aoife Hinds), solely have personalities sufficient to react to no matter circumstantial peril arises from Riley’s quest for solutions. That basic lack of persona wouldn’t be so dangerous if there wasn’t a lot useless air all through—severely, 100 and twenty-one—which primarily provides viewers time to surprise who precisely these new Cenobites are and why their opaque personalities now have all the attraction of well-restored hand-me-downs.

Granted, the Cenobites’ redesigns make them look appropriately unnerving and they’re thoughtfully introduced right here as inter-dimensional sharks who set up their reflexive cruelty by lazily circling about Riley and her mates. Bruckner, who’s already confirmed his status for effects-driven shock scares in his two earlier options, confirms that once more right here with just a few memorably upsetting moments. (I didn’t anticipate to see a REDACTED enter REDACTED’S REDACTED.)

Bruckner additionally confirms what his sturdy, however not-all-there earlier characteristic, “The Night time Home,” instructed so far as his informal indifference to character and narrative continuity. Even the agonizing dispatch of Serena (Hiam Abbass), Voight’s weary assistant, appears inconsequential since her persona is neither mirrored in establishing scenes nor in her seemingly interminable showdown with the Cenobites. It’s all the time good to see Abbass pop up in English-language productions, however the poor girl can solely achieve this a lot with a supporting character who’s extra of a prop than an individual.

Nonetheless, there’s an opportunity you’ll take pleasure in Bruckner’s “Hellraiser” if you happen to’ve seen or look after Barker’s “Hellraiser.” This up to date model doesn’t hold collectively very effectively from scene to scene, and it doesn’t actually improve Barker’s unique character ideas, which have been actually solely ever nice plot ideas to start with. However there are, nonetheless, sufficient pleasurable callbacks and suspenseful moments to maintain you ready expectantly for one thing to occur.

On Hulu in the present day.