Before the series returns with the forms of David Gordon Green’s HBO TV series and David Bruckner’s Hulu film starring Jamie Clayton, let’s see what the franchise as it is has to offer. We have such sights to show you as we rank all of the Hellraiser films from best to worst.
It’s traditional to start with the worst film and work your way up, but in a series with so many maligned entries, there’s no tension in seeing what’s considered the best. Clive Barker’s feature directorial debut was born from frustration, after seeing how poorly prior film adaptations of his work turned out. He decided to do the job himself, and though Pinhead and the Cenobites are the most iconic part of this franchise, they’re just one part of this classic story. An unfaithful wife discovers the reanimated figure of her dead lover and brother-in-law, and helps him regain form by luring unsuspecting men to their demise. An exceptional piece of horror where the real monsters are human, something the series failed to replicate well many times over.
Following on from the original, Kirsty is taken to an institution where an occult obsessed doctor searches for the doorway to Hell and the Cenobites. While there could’ve been more time devoted to characterisation, particularly with new additions, there’s plenty here to enjoy. Of all the routes a sequel could’ve taken, fleshing out the mythology with a gruesome trip to Hell is a darn effective one, and more of Clare Higgins’ delicious turn as Julia is welcome.
Maybe it’s due to lowered expectations, but this was one of the more preferable sequels, even if it’s a lesser version of Jacob’s Ladder. The story sees Ashley Laurence return as Kirsty Cotton, although in a reduced capacity as a car-crash leaves her dead and her husband with amnesia. While this film could’ve splurged for decent lighting and made the franchise connections feel more natural, it’s an engaging story about somebody’s sins coming home to roost.
With each Hellraiser film released, the series got further away from Clive Barker’s vision and that’s clear this early on. While Barker saw Julia as the arch-villain, the studios wanted Pinhead to be in the vein of Freddy Krueger and such interference is felt right here as the once-ordered being starts quipping. The story follows a reporter investigating a series of grisly murders, which are linked to a freed Pinhead. Those who enjoy gory wackiness will find this fun, particularly a standout massacre in a nightclub, although it’s in service of a less-interesting film.
Before directing films such as Sinister and Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson made his debut directing this fifth entry. The story follows a corrupt police detective who tries to solve a murder investigation, only to find his life starts unravelling. This would set the template for many of the following instalments, as they were original tales which were rewritten to become Hellraiser sequels. Maybe that’s why this entry strains to include the Cenobites, seeming more interested in a Se7en-lite mystery which takes place in dull locations. It comes together by the end, but it’s an unfortunate slog to reach that point.
A part of the series’ make-up department since Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth, Gary J. Tunnicliffe almost directed the 9th film until scheduling conflicts got in the way. He was finally able to direct the most recent release, which has interesting ideas as Pinhead navigates through the politics of Heaven and Hell. That potential is unfortunately squandered, focusing instead on a boring police-procedural that resembles a low-budget MTV music video more than a feature film.
An infamous part of this series’ history is how many entries were original scripts unrelated to Hellraiser, only to be retooled to include tenuous links. This film is one of the more blatant about that, as the Cenobites feel out of place in the three scenes they appear in this cheap-looking Channel 5 movie. The story follows a reporter who travels to Bucharest, investigating an underground group that can revive the dead. On it’s own, this would’ve been a forgettable horror film with a silly name, but connected to an established franchise, it’s even more dire.
Looking at the poster, you’d be forgiven for expecting teens to be sucked into a video game to face off against a digital-version of Doug Bradley’s iconic figure. The story takes a more boring approach with a dash of meta, following gamers playing an online video-game based on the Hellraiser films. The group of friends (including a young Henry Cavill) receive in-game invitations for a rave, where they’re picked off one-by-one by Pinhead. Made alongside Hellraiser: Deader, this film was part of a package deal to save costs and it certainly shows. This eighth entry feels so embarrassed to be associated with the franchise, as what’s been crafted is a convoluted revenge/slasher flick parading in Hellraiser skin as though it were Uncle Frank. A tiresome 91-minutes.
It feels difficult to place this one so low, as the good intentions are clear in trying to round out this series thus far, but behind-the scenes drama resulted in the end result being such a mess. It has an epic scope as the story journeys from 1796 Paris for an origin of the Lament Configuration, to a contemporary tale, before rounding things off with a space-set adventure in 2127. There’s interesting ideas regarding lineage as Pinhead faces off against the same family over centuries, but it’s packed into an 85-minute package which made director Kevin Yagher wish for his name to be removed as director. A film which shoots for the stars, but crashes down in execution.
We’ve ended this list with the most meta-sequel in the Hellraiser franchise, because watching this film is like opening the Lament Configuration, as only pain lies within and you’ll entirely regret it. A film rushed into production so The Weinstein Company could keep hold of the franchise rights, made in a matter of weeks and released to a single theatre in California, all this production history makes sense because the film smacks of a cheap rush-job, right down to the Poundland attempt at Pinhead. The story simultaneously depicts a found-footage tale involving two unbearable bros, and a home-invasion story regarding their families. As a result, viewers are stuck with unbearable characters who switch between acting angry, horny, or moronic. What about the Cenobites? The film doesn’t care, so why should we? It says a lot that, in a series where original scripts were rewritten to force in Pinhead, this feels the least like a Hellraiser film. A true low-point of the series, and even if you’re morbidly curious, I’d recommend not checking this one out.