☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
(Didn't Like It)
Netflix Synopsis: After he crashes their car in a river, Trevor's wife's body is never found and he becomes a suspect; meanwhile, he suffers from scary hallucinations.
The Peeps: Rick Bota (director); Carl Dupre and Tim Day (writers); Dean "Mayhem Like Me" Winters, Ashley Laurence
Quick Run Down: Choppy and Uneven, Dull, Repetitive
Worth the Watch?: Not Really
Hellraiser: Hellseeker follows the lackadaisical Trevor (Dean Winters) after he and his wife, Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), have a car accident. Kirsty is presumed dead - Trevor watched her die, unable to get her from the car as it sank into a river, but, now that Trevor's up and running after the accident, he's told that her body was never found. And to add crap to the pile, Trevor's suddenly a suspect. OMG! Trevor's life suddenly becomes very strange. Women he appears to vaguely remember suddenly begin kissing and coming on to him at random. He's getting flashbacks of strange things that he's done and seen. He begins having very vivid and elaborate hallucinations, coupled with crippling headaches, that make reality and make-believe almost indiscernible. As a case builds AGAINST Trevor - certain evidence is surfacing suggesting that Kirsty's disappearance was a homicide - Trevor is finally brought in for apparent justice, only to find himself face to face with the Truth - served by Pinhead!
Some people might find this flick to be a good horror movie. It has medium gore, two 'horrific' scenes, a little torture and nudity, minor tension, and a mediocre, though very uneven and choppy, story line. Still, my gut tells me that it's just not a good movie. The idea is there, namely, once everything becomes clear in the end, but the whole thing feels weak and dull (and, ultimately, mild for a horror film). The opening is anticipatory and claustrophobic, and the mystery that shortly follows holds for the first 15 or so minutes of the film. After that, we get a feel for the character, and that's when the film begins to lose its intrigue. Maybe it's the constant smash cutting, the terrible acting, or the constant sex appeal in the film - I don't know, but, personally, I think this installment in the
Hellraiser franchise is an amateur's attempt to recapture and recast the same theme and emotion so well captured in its predecessor
, Hellrasier: Inferno. Foregoing the original story line of the franchise,
Hellraiser: Inferno works a very different angle for the horror series, and it proves to be a good, enjoyable horror movie, if not just movie. Following in its footsteps, though,
Hellraiser: Hellseeker lacks the emotion of it older brethren. It feels like a bunch of young males put it together, leaving all sense of sincerity behind for sake of supposed ingenuity, cleverness, and several half naked women. Even Doug Bradley (Pinhead) feels and sounds uninspired. Then again, Bradley's performance could also be a result of playing across from the awful Dean Winters. You'll probably recognize him as the All State Insurance 'Mayhem' guy, and that's him. He's great in those commercials, but, in this flick, he's bad. There seems to be a constant smirk on his face; he languidly moves about the frame regardless of the situation; and he looks like a creep. Occasionally, you'll see a spark of good acting coming on, and I bet Bota damn near peed his directing britches when it happened. But it never lasts very long, and that same expression is gone as soon as it shows. He just doesn't handle the character well enough to give the film that extra thing it needs to stop it from being a dull movie.
Ashley Laurence reprises her role as Kirsty from the first two
Hellraiser films, and she does a good job. However, her reason for being in the film will be lost on audiences that have not seen the first one, which is unfortunate because it's probably the best part of the movie.
There's not a lot of blood or gore in the film, and, when one does crop up, it's usually boring. There are three scenes that I'm sure were designed to really freak people out, but one is used twice and the other would be entirely laughable if it weren't for the dialogue. The film looks really good, but I've noticed that, once you get into the 2000's, it's not difficult to make a bad movie look good anymore.
So, if you wanna watch a movie that's choppy, amateurish, dull, and does the same thing over and over again, check out
Hellraiser: Hellseeker. I don't think you'll regret it, but I don't think you'll give a shit once it's over, either. Regardless, if you wanna give it watch, go for it. It's on Netflix!
"Now, it's time to pay the price!"
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