☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
(Didn't Like It)
Netflix Synopsis: In this ninth installment of the Hellraiser franchise, two friends discover a puzzle box in Mexico, which opens a gateway to Hell. Before long, dermatological nightmare Pinhead has returned to make the lives of everyone in his way miserable.
The Peeps: Victor Garcia (director); Gary Tunnicliffe (writer); Nick Eversman, Jay Gillespie, Steven Smith Collins (Pinhead)
Quick Run Down: Very Dark, Nihilistic, Contrived,... Stupid?
Worth the Watch?: If You're In A Depraved Mood, Then Maybe
Hellraiser: Revelations begins with Nico (Jay Gillespie) and Steven (Nick Eversman) running away to Mexico and filming with a hand held camera as they go. Their trip is briefly chronicled before the flick cuts to actual FILM, and we see the mother of one of the boys watching the video tape of her son and his friend. This back and forth continues throughout most of the film as we follow current day with the two families of the boys (who've gone missing at this point) and then cut to the boys, their debauchery, the acquisition of the Lament Config, and the Hellraising they get into in Mexico. As we are caught up to speed, in current day, Steven shows up at his parent's house, covered in blood and looking like a yellowing, dead leaf. Everyone starts freaking out, shocked to see one of the missing boys suddenly returned from nowhere, but, as the franchise would have it, he's not who he seems to be! But, don't worry, dears - Pinhead helps clear all that up!
There's a 6 year gap between this film and
Hellraiser: Hellword, and it's widely said that Dimension only made this particular installment in order to retain the rights to the
Hellraiser story. So, if you do any research on the interent, there's a lot of slack given to the studio regarding the production, the budget, and so on. Regarding the film, Clive Barker was quoted as saying, on Twitter,
"I want to put on record that the flic out there using the word Hellraiser IS NO FUCKIN' CHILD OF MINE! I have NOTHING to do with the fuckin' thing. If they claim its from the mind of Clive Barker, it's a lie. It's not even from my butt-hole." Whoa... And Doug Bradley is not in this installment of the series, the only one of the 9. He was approached for the role, but, upon reading the script and getting wind of the production details, he turned it down. His words were not near as vehement as Barker's, but there's a tone of contempt, and possible disappointment, in them for the overall production. The film was scheduled for only three weeks shooting, and it's budget estimated at $350,000, which is probably a quarter of each of the budgets for the previous film. These production details make themselves felt in the film's rushed and contrived qualities. Overall, the film's well put together - editing and cinematography, and Nick Eversman does a good job acting, even if it is inexperienced at times. But my big complaint for the movie is - it's just stupid. The film's very dark, even nihilistic at times, and I think that dark quality would have worked had there been a better attempt to counter those dark sentiments of the film - going back to the good vs evil qualities of the previous installments. Moreover, this film was written by Tunnicliffe, who created the effects in the original
Hellraiser, and he wrote this film to match up with the original. Still, with little to counter the emotions, the film is overly dark and finds its themes in meaninglessness. This may sound awesome for a horror movie, but you have to remember - a good horror MOVIE operates as such: a cohesive tale of good vs. evil, moral over immoral. There are moments of these qualities in the film, but they're mostly minute and, therefore, easily overlooked, bringing the ultimate impression of the flick as one-sided. I get that one-side, but I would have enoyed the film a helluva lot more had the other side been present.
As mentioned, Bradley is out, and Steven Smith Collins was brought in to fill his shoes. Collins just simply isn't as good as Bradley, and that's a huge knock for the film. The weight Bradley gives Pinhead's dialogue is sometimes the only reason it works, and this shines through with Collins being the deliverer this go around. There's only one new creature, Pseudo Pinhead, and he's just a Pinhead mini-me so there's nothing to really see.
So, if you wanna watch a very dark horror flick that focuses on the meaningless and drives home the nihilistic qualities of the
Hellraiser ideology, then you should check out
Hellraiser: Revelations. Personally, I'd skip it (unless you're a philosophy major!), but, if you're feeling froggy, jump on in. It's on Netflix!
What he said....
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