I was really really hoping for it to be genius. The Hellraiser franchise is something that I got very fond of during the last few years and I spent the entire year waiting for this reboot, so I guess a lot of the expectation is actually my fault. The movie is great, but it's not genius. The characters (besides Collin, my queer bait, I admit) don't have enough charisma or likability for us to care for them, so we go back to the original plan: seeing the cenobites shatter bodies!
I believe that, in that subject, the film turned out to be great, even though I would like to see a little bit more. The cenobites are spectacular, Jamie Clayton managed to give the Pinhead vibe, and their combo of make-up and graphic design is one of the best things to watch in the entire movie. I was hoping for them to appear ALL THE TIME, so I could see that beautiful work done. The Gasp and The Asphyx in action are something to be watched, I wish I had a movie just for The Gasp, like they did to the Nun in Conjuring. The final scene with Roland is one of the best in the whole picture, it contrasts sacred and light with gore and visceral! That was a nice and impactful way to end it. Also, his scene previous to it, with the engines going out and his body getting back together, reminded me of the original 1987 practical effects.
Unfortunately, Riley is not a good main character. She is relatable FOR THE FACT that she fucks up a lot, but then she fucks up way too much sometimes and then we just feel like... Cenobites, please kill the bitch already. The boyfriend arch is predictable since she just gets involved with things that are destructive to her, it was noticeable since the beginning that he was responsible for her getting in all that trouble. All and all, the writers still managed to keep it cautionary (classic for horror) in the end: her dependence on bad things got her involved in too much trouble, her lesson's price was high, and now she's going to regret it for the rest of her life. CLASSIC. It's not bad neither an original storytelling.
I'm not as disappointed as some because I got what I was expecting in the production and horror criteria, but the narrative could have really been more creative and surprising.
Review by Tiago de MatosBlockedParent2022-10-15T17:56:28Z
I was really really hoping for it to be genius. The Hellraiser franchise is something that I got very fond of during the last few years and I spent the entire year waiting for this reboot, so I guess a lot of the expectation is actually my fault. The movie is great, but it's not genius. The characters (besides Collin, my queer bait, I admit) don't have enough charisma or likability for us to care for them, so we go back to the original plan: seeing the cenobites shatter bodies!
I believe that, in that subject, the film turned out to be great, even though I would like to see a little bit more. The cenobites are spectacular, Jamie Clayton managed to give the Pinhead vibe, and their combo of make-up and graphic design is one of the best things to watch in the entire movie. I was hoping for them to appear ALL THE TIME, so I could see that beautiful work done. The Gasp and The Asphyx in action are something to be watched, I wish I had a movie just for The Gasp, like they did to the Nun in Conjuring. The final scene with Roland is one of the best in the whole picture, it contrasts sacred and light with gore and visceral! That was a nice and impactful way to end it. Also, his scene previous to it, with the engines going out and his body getting back together, reminded me of the original 1987 practical effects.
Unfortunately, Riley is not a good main character. She is relatable FOR THE FACT that she fucks up a lot, but then she fucks up way too much sometimes and then we just feel like... Cenobites, please kill the bitch already. The boyfriend arch is predictable since she just gets involved with things that are destructive to her, it was noticeable since the beginning that he was responsible for her getting in all that trouble. All and all, the writers still managed to keep it cautionary (classic for horror) in the end: her dependence on bad things got her involved in too much trouble, her lesson's price was high, and now she's going to regret it for the rest of her life. CLASSIC. It's not bad neither an original storytelling.
I'm not as disappointed as some because I got what I was expecting in the production and horror criteria, but the narrative could have really been more creative and surprising.