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Reviews Film / Hellraiser 2022

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maninahat Grand Poobah Since: Apr, 2009
Grand Poobah
11/22/2022 08:38:57
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...And His Name is John Cenobite!

Hellraiser tells the story of a mysterious puzzle box which, when solved, summons a group of demonic BDSM themed, skinless monsters - "cenobites" - who promise to grant wishes. Much like any cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for, it turns out that asking anything of these guys is a really bad idea. You see, the cenobites follow an obscure Eldritch code of conduct and expect humans to do the same. They genuinely believe we want to be dragged into hell and ripped apart by chains. It's all a big silly misunderstanding!

Whilst it is formatted like a traditional slasher horror, what with our main characters being a group of obnoxious young people who are there purely to be murdered, Hellraiser feels like a different sort of beast. Despite the levels violence harkening back to the mid 2000s gore porn Saw/Hostel movies, it feels a bit more earnt here; the horror is deeply existential in nature, positioning mankind on a precarious ledge, ready to tip into a greater universe of endless suffering. And its not just some metaphysical horror waiting for us on the other side, its a deeply physical nightmare where our bodies are perpetually butchered. Audiences don't have that god fearing terror of hell like they once did in older times, so this movie explores that terror in a secular way. Which is all great!

Unfortunately, it still has some of the pitfalls of a typical slasher movie. Most of the characters are vaguely defined and underwritten. When they talk, its usually just to yell "what's happening?" or "what the fuck?" over and over. Which I guess is what I would do in the circumstances as well, but it is still really annoying to watch. With the exception of the protagonist, I didn't really care or relate to any of these goons. That matters even more in this story, as the protagonist has some degree of control over who is next to be killed by the cenobites. And whilst its supposed to be an awful dilemma for her to make these decisions, for me I just want her to get on with it and kill these idiots.

Fortunately, the real stars of the show are the cenobites themselves. They are a brilliant pieces of modern monster movie makeup, each with elaborate and imaginative designs. They do not let down, they are so weird, elegant and brutal that they more than make up for the rest of the cast. I want to see more entries to this franchise, just to see what these charming freaks get up to next.

I had a decent enough time with the movie, it is a cut above the typical horror flick, but don't expect anything ground breaking. Some people might be put off with the cringe inflicting gore, others live for that stuff. So be forewarned.


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