Movie Review: Hellraiser (1987)

★★★★★

Hellraiser is messed up in the best way. Creepy, gory, and totally unforgettable—those Cenobites live rent-free in my brain.

Mark V.

California

The movie kicks off with Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) acquiring a mysterious puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration. Frank’s not exactly a “sit and read a book” kind of guy; he’s chasing the ultimate thrill. When he solves the puzzle, he gets more than he bargained for: a one-way ticket to the dimension of the Cenobites, beings who promise experiences beyond human understanding… at a terrible cost.

Later, Frank’s brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) moves into their family home with his wife Julia (Clare Higgins). Julia, however, has a dark secret: she once had a passionate affair with Frank. When Frank finds a gruesome way to partially return to the world of the living, Julia agrees to help him fully resurrect by luring in victims.

Clare Higgins as Julia: The Real Villain of the Story

Here’s something you don’t see discussed enough: Julia is arguably the true monster of Hellraiser. Pinhead might be the face of the franchise, but Julia’s cold, calculating cruelty is on another level. Clare Higgins plays her with an unsettling combination of icy composure and desperate longing.

Her scenes seducing strangers to their doom are almost scarier than the supernatural stuff. She’s not killing for survival, she’s killing for love, or at least her twisted version of it.

Doug Bradley as Pinhead: A Horror Icon in Minimal Screen Time

One of the most fascinating things about Hellraiser is how little screen time Pinhead actually gets in the first movie. Doug Bradley’s calm, almost polite delivery makes the character more unnerving than if he were just snarling threats.

It’s the restraint that works when Pinhead says, “We have such sights to show you,” you believe him, and you’re not sure you want to see them.

The Cenobites: Not Just Monsters, but Explorers

The Cenobites are more than just creatures designed to scare. They’re portrayed as “explorers in the further regions of experience,” which is one of the reasons Hellraiser stands apart from standard slasher films. They’re not mindless killers; they genuinely believe they’re offering something valuable, even if that something is eternal torment.

The designs are unforgettable: hooks, leather, metal, every detail hints at a backstory you’ll never fully know, which makes them even more terrifying.

Under-Discussed Element: The Gothic Melodrama Beneath the Gore

While most people talk about Hellraiser for its body horror, there’s a gothic love story (or lust story) running underneath. Julia’s devotion to Frank is pure melodrama, a dark, twisted version of the “I’ll do anything for love” trope.

It’s not romantic in the traditional sense, but it gives the film emotional stakes beyond the usual “don’t get killed” motivation you see in a lot of horror.

Special Effects: Inventive and Unflinching

This is 1987 practical effects at their most audacious. Frank’s resurrection scene, all bone, sinew, and muscle knitting itself together, is still one of the most impressive pieces of gore effects ever put on screen. It’s grotesque, but also strangely beautiful in how meticulously it’s done.

There’s also a tactile quality to the Cenobites’ makeup that CGI can’t touch. Every scar and stitch feels real, which is probably why the film still gets under people’s skin (pun intended).

The Atmosphere: Horror You Can Feel in Your Bones

Clive Barker’s direction gives Hellraiser a claustrophobic, almost suffocating feel. The house isn’t just a setting, it’s like a trap, closing in as Julia’s murders pile up and Frank’s body regenerates.

The use of shadows, dim lighting, and an eerie orchestral score makes even the quieter moments feel tense, as if something awful is just off-screen.

Why Hellraiser Still Freaks You Out Today

Horror trends have shifted a lot since the 80s. We’ve had waves of slashers, found footage, and elevated horror, but Hellraiser remains unique. It’s not about a killer stalking victims; it’s about humans making choices that damn them.

It’s also one of the few horror films that treats its supernatural villains almost like deities, alien in their morality, unwavering in their rules. That gives it a mythic quality that keeps it fresh even decades later.

Final Thoughts

Hellraiser is more than just its gore and shock factor; it’s a strange, gothic tale about human desire gone wrong, wrapped in some of the most memorable horror imagery ever put to film. It’s unsettling, not just because of what you see, but because of what it makes you think about: what would you do if offered the ultimate pleasure… at the ultimate cost?

If you’ve only ever seen Pinhead on a T-shirt or poster, you owe it to yourself to watch the movie that started it all. Just… maybe not during dinner.