Hellraiser

Hellraiser – 2022 – United States/Serbia

The Hellraiser series has so much potential. Most supernatural horror movies fall into two camps. They are about traditional monsters (i.e. vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc.) or they are heavily influenced by H. P. Lovecraft. Hellraiser creates its own mythology that is divorced from existing horror folklore. Its demonic cenobites, their arcane bureaucracy, and the dark powers that control them are utterly mysterious and dreadful. Unfortunately, the Hellraiser movies never quite live up to their compelling premise. Hellraiser (2022) doesn’t either, but it comes a heck of a lot closer than any of the others.

This time, the story follows a recovering drug addict name Riley who steals a magical puzzle box while robbing a warehouse with her sleazy boyfriend. Solving the puzzle box involves sacrificing people to a group of demons known as the cenobites, and when all the box’s configurations are solved, the solver can make a wish. When Riley accidentally sacrifices her brother while experimenting with the box, she must discover the box’s secrets for a chance to bring him back to life.