Hellraiser

R

Released Sep 18, 1987

1 hr. 33 min.

Horror

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List

70%

53 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sexual deviant Frank (Sean Chapman) inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome beings called Cenobites, who tear Frank's body apart. When Frank's brother (Andrew Robinson) and his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), move into Frank's old house, they accidentally bring what is left of Frank back to life. Frank then convinces Julia, his one-time lover, to lure men back to the house so he can use their blood to reconstruct himself.

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Critics Consensus

Elevated by writer-director Clive Barker's fiendishly unique vision, Hellraiser offers a disquieting - and sadistically smart - alternative to mindless gore.

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Kalin D

Gross and nonsensical. Nothing to be gained from watching this.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/02/24

Full Review

capnpppants

Seriously one of the dumbest things i've ever seen. The only redeeming quality of this entire mess is the fact that pinhead is an epic-looking character, and even then he was only on screen for at most 3 minutes. This movie seriously aged terribly.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/24

Full Review

Landen R

"Hellraiser" (1987) shows us sadomasochism as what it truly is: both cruel and attractive, the line separating the two non-existent. Well shot, competently directed, and highly entertaining, "Hellraiser" is a beautifully poetic piece of cinema, cleverly disguised as an over-the-top gory horror flick.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

zlodeo ‎

Its a fun watch gore-y and i like the aesthetic of the cenobites and the lament configuration and all those things kinda cheeeeeezy but still fun

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/24

Full Review

Ryan H

Interesting sadomasochistic costuming for the demons, but little else of note. (Also, I think some of the art is derivative of Francis Bacon, which, while not a bad thing, suggests that the movie should've looked much further, for standing on such a giant's shoulders.)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

Full Review

Alec B

It remains a strangely beguiling piece of grotesque horror. Even though each sequel tries, you can't diminish this film's lasting impact.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

Full Review

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Clive Barker

Director

Andrew Robinson

Larry Cotton

Clare Higgins

Julia Cotton

Ashley Laurence

Kirsty Cotton

Sean Chapman

Frank Cotton

Oliver Smith

Frank the Monster

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53%

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Hellraiser: Trailer 1

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Ryan Murphy

Miami Herald

The conclusion is pat and predictable, an amateurish effort at showing the advantages of good over evil.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 17, 2021

Full Review

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

The reason the movie works as well as it does is because of its human characters.

Rated: B+

Oct 14, 2019

Full Review

William Thomas

Empire Magazine

Horror is at its best when it's relentless. Clive Barker knows this, and his debut feature as director is so gleefully vicious, so relentlessly grim that it's going to be very hard for fans of the genre not to like it.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 13, 2017

Full Review

Michael Sragow

San Francisco Examiner

The acclaimed young fiction writer turned filmmaker, Clive Barker, here wears his heart on his sleeve -- along with his brains and his intestines... By pushing his horror gimmicks to the limit, Barker becomes a pain for the audience.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 21, 2022

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Sexy, gooey and filled with imagination, Hellraiser is Clive Barker's magnum opus.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 20, 2022

Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...a demystifying experience, especially if the movie’s Pinhead poster was a staple of your youth.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jun 10, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Sexual deviant Frank (Sean Chapman) inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome beings called Cenobites, who tear Frank's body apart. When Frank's brother (Andrew Robinson) and his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), move into Frank's old house, they accidentally bring what is left of Frank back to life. Frank then convinces Julia, his one-time lover, to lure men back to the house so he can use their blood to reconstruct himself.

Director: Clive Barker
Executive Producer: Mark Armstrong, David Saunders, Christopher Webster
Screenwriter: Clive Barker
Distributor: New World Pictures, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Rivdel Films
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 25, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.3M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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