Release Date: 11/09/1987
Cast: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman
Director: Clive Barker
Hellraiser is one of the most iconic horror films ever made. While it may not be in the same league as Halloween, Exorcist, or Omen, it has its own niche of ardent fans who swear by it. What Hellraiser has is an antagonist that makes it instantly recognizable. The picture of Pinhead (Doug Bradley) on the VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray cover of the film forced generation after generation of horror aficionados to pick up the cassettes and discs. The picture of Pinhead on its posters made generation after generation of moviegoers walk into theaters just to understand what this weird creature was. That was the power of the special makeup effects and creature design of Bob Keen. It was only after you had been hooked with the said design that you realize that it was a film that went far deeper than the imaginative characters and was about a whole lot of other things than just torture and sadomasochism.
Frank (Sean Chapman), a reclusive and brash seeker of pleasure lays his hands on a mystical puzzle box that promises perverse, sadistic, and prohibited pleasures for the one who is able to solve it. Frank busts the box open only to realize that the pleasures it promises are not pleasures but the macabre and unthinkable desecration of flesh meted out in hell and delivered by creatures known only as the Cenobites. These creatures are summoned by the opening of the box. Frank’s mortal form is ripped apart and he languishes in the same house for days without a shape to call his own. Interestingly, Frank is able to regain his human form when his brother and his feisty wife come to live in the same house. His brother’s spilled blood reforms Frank’s body to a certain extent. Frank reaches out to his sister-in-law, Julia (Clare Higgins) with whom he had shared a passionate extramarital affair, and seduces her again to deliver new bodies whose blood he could consume to continue to reform into human form. What happens next is what the film is all about.
Clive Barker was recognized as a genius for good reasons. He made just a handful of short films and features and each one of those films left indelible marks on the cinemascape of Hollywood. Hellraiser may just be the most influential of these films. The film was based on a novella by Barker and was in many ways a passion project for him. He envisioned and dictated every aspect of the film and this resulted in his entire vision for the story and treatment finding its way onto the screen. The fact that the film was released in 1987 also ensured that the director was able to showcase a lot of things that he might not be able to in today’s time and age. He was able to avoid the “X” rating successfully by suggesting some of the more violent aspects of the film than just showing them outright. This also contributed to making the film a lot more gruesome as violence left to the mind to decipher is always of the worst kind.
Bob Keen’s special makeup effects and creature design is one of the highlights of the film. I have already discussed a little about the impact that the design of the lead Cenobite, Pinhead had on the viewers and this was the case with most of the other designs. In today’s time, CGI has practically taken over every aspect of a film that requires something out of the ordinary. On the contrary, in a film like Hellraiser, everything was done practically and that contributed immensely to enhancing the overall impact of the film and the story as a whole. When you look at it today, you don’t have to be told that what you are watching is not for real and even the motion of the different creatures and effects feel constricted and mechanical but the fact that it was all done for real adds a grimy, disgusting and realistic feel to the macabre that no amount of finesse in the CGI can account for. It also impacts the performances and makes them a lot more organic because now the actors have someone or something to actually react to instead of a tennis ball on a poll. The makeup effects here are so astounding and imaginative that I rewatched the film a few times just to concentrate and enjoy the various aspect of Keen’s work and appreciate them in a way that they deserved. The actors also did a fantastic job with their respective essays. To have so many prosthetics on and still being able to hold on to the emotional core of the characters as they reacted to different situations and predicaments was never an easy task.
Andrew Robinson as Larry was fantastic. Larry is the only character that has an arch and as he moves from being a loving husband and caring father to a maniacal entity whose skin is being used by someone else and the changes that this aspect of the story brings to the character was amazing to experience. Clare Higgins was no less as Julia. Her character is torn between her uncontrollable infatuation and lust for Frank and her understanding of the fact that what she was doing was pure evil. Higgins wonderfully brings out the duality of the character’s predicament and this makes her character far more impactful and heartbreaking than you generally expect in a film of this nature. She knocks it out of the park in certain scenes where Barker juxtaposes her reaction shots with her reminiscences of some of the lustful things that she had done with Frank in the past. Barker even adds a few shots of physical harm coming to Larry in these scenes to add another layer of complexity to it.
Ashley Laurence as Kirsty is perfect. She brings the right amount of confusion, surprise, fear, and finally anger to the character of Kirsty who finds herself in a strange predicament that she cannot explain. She is someone through whom the audiences get a voice to their inherent fears, questions, and surprises and that is what makes her character that much more important and effective. Sean Chapman is terrific in the scenes where we see him seduce Julia. Even with the prosthetics on, there is a semblance of the charm and the mannerisms that are associated with Sean that can be clearly seen in the rendition of the other-worldly self of the same character.
Hellraiser’s story is simplistic in nature but it is the execution that makes it so special. While the emphasis is on showing some of the most insane torture and violence, it is all done for the right reasons and with enough explanations. While there is nothing believable in this world, Barker is able to render it believable with his detailed world-building, penchant for details, and convincing performances. The visual aesthetics of it is in keeping with the grimy nature of the content and complements the film wonderfully. I loved the sound design, especially the subtle sounds of insects crawling in silent rooms, the wind blowing over rotting food, the silence broken with sudden thuds, metals cutting through flesh, etc. These sounds make some of the sequences that are ordinary, extremely creepy and eerie.
I had a great time with Hellraiser and now I plan to dive into its 2022 remake as well as the 1988 sequel to this film. For the ones who have a good time with it, it is also advisable to check out the bonus materials that were a part of the DVD/Blu-ray release of the film. These features will give you a lot of insight into the creative process of the film and help you to appreciate the film even more.
Please note that the views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not in any way or form reflect EastMojo’s position.
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