Hellraiser Films: From Best to Worst

This article contains !SPOILERS!

I’ve always wanted to do a best to worst list of all the Hellraiser films and with the upcoming release of The Scarlet Gospels I feel the timing is perfect. But before I get into it, I’d like to give fair warning to our listeners that I only consider the first four films to be the beginning and end of the series. I know the direct-to-video series has a lot of fans, which I respect, but they really don’t do much for me. But for the fans that enjoy them I’ve decided to include them in my list as well.

For a sequel to surpass the original is quite amazing feat in itself because most sequels don’t. They usually lack any trace of originality and repeat the same beats that made the original work so good. Luckily, director Tony Randel and screenwriter Peter Atkins pulled off a film that went deeper into the mythology that Clive Barker had established and this makes the movie feel completely new and fresh. It’s a flawed film for sure but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. Ken Cranham steals the show as Dr. Channard and it was good to see Frank finally get his just desserts. The visuals and special effects are top notch, as is Christopher Young’s beautifully epic score which brings the film to a whole new level. A classic for sure and for me the last “true” Hellraiser film.

The original film stands by itself and is a true horror classic in every sense of the word. It set a new standard for its time by touching on themes that mainstream audiences probably found taboo. It also of course gave horror audiences a new horror icon that we’ve all come know and love as Pinhead. But for me the true monster of the story isn’t the cenobites or even the box that summons them. That honor is bestowed unto Frank, the selfish brother who corrupts a simple house wife, has sexual desires towards his niece, and steals his trusting brother’s skin. The cenobites are really quite inconsequential to the main storyline and are merely spectators watching this family rip itself apart.

It’s such a shame what happened to Hellraiser: Bloodline. Peter Atkins wrote a powerful script which many of his peers believe to be the best in the entire series. As most fans know the film went through a horrible production with behind the scenes meddling that led to original director Kevin Yagher leaving the project and replacing his name with the dreaded “Alan Smithee” credit. Luckily, through all the madness a decent film actually came out of it. I’m not going to make excuses for the film’s shortcomings because there are many, but there’s still a lot to enjoy here: Doug Bradley was back in true Pinhead form after playing the character a little differently from Hell on Earth, Valentina Vargas created a demon to remember with her portrayal as Angelique, the cinematography was beautiful, and Daniel Licht’s score reminded me of the greatness of Christopher Young score’s from the past. There are also a couple of very inspired scenes that I really enjoyed such as the summoning scene at the beginning of the movie, and the face off between Pinhead and Angelique at the end of the middle segment. But in the end the film does fall flat and it’s such a shame because this could’ve been the best sequel.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth was the first Hellraiser film I ever saw so it will always hold a special place in my  heart but out of the first four its become my least favorite for obvious reasons. This is the film that launched Pinhead into the spotlight and made him a house hold name. It also has a wonderful screenplay by Peter Atkins and Doug Bradley gives his best all around performance as the character. He really chews up a lot of the scenery with the excellent dialog that Peter Atkins has written for him to play with. Also, J.P Monroe was a nice addition to the Hellraiser universe with his sneaky ways that reminded me of Frank. And director Anthony Hickox brought a more polished looked to the film that the first two films lacked, though personally I enjoyed the gritty looks of those eariler films. For me the film’s only problems are we never really get to see Hell come to earth (obvious budget constraints here) and some of the cheesy dialog and cenobites. Seriously, a CD cenobite and Camerahead cenobite? Those two always make me cringe when I watch it.

Hellraiser: Hellseeker is probably the best out of the direct-to-video bunch. Mainly because it was nice to see Ashley Laurence back as Kirsty, and I really enjoyed the darker turn the character took at the end. The scene where she strikes a bargain with Pinhead reminded me of the earlier films which was nice. Some of the new cenobites were cool too, the Surgeon being my favorite. And Rick Bota (who would take over the franchise as director) gave the film a cold and bluish look that I really enjoyed. The main problem with the movie is the main character Trevor. I knew right off the bat that this guy was a scumbag. He deserved what he got in the end. Overall it’s an average film at best that doesn’t capture the essence of what makes a true Hellraiser film work.

Hellraiser: Deader should’ve been made into the original film it was supposed to be. All the Hellraiser material feels thrown into the story just so they could make another Hellraiser movie. It did have one disturbing scene though but I won’t give it away here. Also, actress Kari Wuhrer did give a great performance in her role, but this film just squanders like a lost animal until the end credits.

I’m not going to comment on this film other than to say I applaud everyone involved in this production, especially director Victor Garcia and screenwriter  Gary J. Tunnicliffe, for having the balls to make a film basically for peanuts. I wish the results would’ve been better but I don’t blame them. And I’ve never felt so bad for an actor like the poor guy who had to take over the role of Pinhead. What a horrible position to be in. But I rank this higher on my list because at least it tried to bring back some of the original elements from the first film. 

My fingers are getting tired from typing and there isn’t much worth talking about concerning Hellworld.

I know a lot of fans enjoy Hellraiser: Inferno, and from a technical standpoint it’s not a bad movie. But the movie a crossed a big line when it made Pinhead a moralist. The Hellraiser universe doesn’t care if you’re a bad person or not. That’s just the way the rules were set. And that’s why put this at the end of the list.

That’s my best to worst list for all the Hellraiser films. Over all it’s a pretty bumpy series but like I said at the beginning I really only enjoy the first four. Also, sound off in the comments below to let us know your list too.