My review. (Spoiler free)
Preface - I'm a big fan of the original two Hellraiser films. When I was a teenager those two would have been in my top 10 favorite films of all time. I'm also a fan of director David Bruckner so my expectations for this were quite high.
Trigger warning - As most people know the new actress for Pinhead is transsexual (MTF). This film also features a homosexual couple, along with several 'POC'. I know that bothers some and will lead to some calling this 'Wokeraiser'. There is no political message in this film whatsoever, it simply has LGBT characters and a racially diverse cast.
Story - This is a remake and the lore is reconfigured. The core plot is decent thematically and is executed relatively well. A few twists and turns. This is the longest Hellraiser film to date at 2 hours. The pacing is fine, the first 1/4 goes by quickly, the second 1/4 drags on a touch, the third 1/4 picks up again and the final 1/4 flies by. The new way the lament configuration and cenobites operate is interesting. Good ideas. However when you change the lore foundations of a beloved classic it does feel a bit strange. This is Hellraiser but not the Hellraiser people grew up with. I love the new lament configuration concept. The cenobites however don't quite feel right, their wants and desires aren't what they were in the original. They are more indiscriminate.
Acting - Odessa A'zion gives a strong performance as the lead. Her acting is definitely superior to Ashley Laurences in H1 & H2. However she's not as easy on the eyes and due to the script her character isn't as likeable. When you write a 'troubled individual' they're often less easy to root for than the traditional virginal final girl. Jamie Clayton is very good as the new Pinhead, she doesn't compare to Doug Bradley but then no one ever will. As good a replacement that you're likely to get. The rest of the cast is adequete though the characters in this tale aren't as memorable as the likes of Frank and Julia in the originals.
Cinematography - This film was shot digitally and is visually strongly 2022. The case could be made that this is the best shot Hellraiser film to date. The cinematography and editing are good. However it lacks the raw and rough workmanlike aesthetic of the first two. So technically it's slicker and better but for a Horror picture it's lesser.
FX/Make-up/Costumes - This is a gorey film though not to the level of the first two Hellraiser films. The cenobite designs are very good and the FX as a whole hold up quite well for a direct-to-streaming film. The lament configuration is brilliant, one of the areas where this film is resoundingly superior to the earlier efforts. A lot of care was taken to make and design this box. The original was a simplistic box, this one is elaborate and intricate.
Scare factor - This film isn't as scary as Bruckners previous films, The Ritual (2017) and The Night House (2020). However thanks to the IP it is gorier. I've personally never found the earlier Hellraiser films scary however they did have a grotesque vibe. This film doesn't come close to matching that vibe. It's too polished and clean.
Conclusions;
- This is a good film but a touch disappointing given the high hopes I had for it. To give it a rating, 7.5/10.
- This is the third best Hellraiser film. Not the most difficult accomplishment to be fair. Hellraiser 1 & 2 are still the best for the franchise.
- This isn't as good as The Night House, maybe not even as good as The Ritual.
- With regards to Horrors of known IPs for the year, I prefer this over Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Orphan: First Kill. It's not as good as Prey.
- As of now this would feature in my top 5 Horror films of the year. (Alongside Prey, X, The Black Phone and Men). Though I've yet to see Pearl, Barbarian, Smile & Terrifier 2 plus we've got Halloween Ends & The Menu yet to come. I don't quite see this film staying in my top 5 come years end.