Becky A
Forget "Hell on Earth" - this is hell on screen! They've taken the excellence of the first two films & tortured it cenobite style until there's nothing left but underwhelming gristle. The creation of the new cenobite team is cringe worthy; gone are the incredibly eery & visually jarring originals (Deepthroat, Butterball & Chatterer) & instead we get a CD wielding ex DJ, a Molotov throwing ex Bartender, & a half-assed cameraman. The desperation is strong with this one.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
10/07/25
Full Review
Ash P
So, here we are in the third entry of the Hellraiser franchise. Does this Hell on Earth begin the trend of the terrible sequels where the franchise goes down the toilet? Well, not exactly. This is in the middle for me, where I did get some enjoyment out of. The premise of this movie starts off with J. P. Monroe, played by Kevin Bernhardt, bought the pillar where Pinhead and the rest of the Cenobites from the end of the last movie are made by marble as time went by. How is it there? Your guess is as good as mine. On the other side of New York, Joanne "Joey" Summerskill, played by Terry Farrell, notices chains coming out from a patient as she was there for a news report and had to ask Terri, played by Paula Marshall, about the situation. That leads her to the club Monroe owns called The Boiler Room.
As Joey goes there to get some answers, she actually gets them from Terri, who was currently homeless at the time, because she had a feeling about the pillar that Monroe bought and somehow pried the Lament Configuration from it just to show it to Joey. Monroe notices and gets bitten by a rat, bleeding onto the pillar, which awoken Pinhead for a bit. One night, Monroe brought a woman to have an affair with, arguing with one another, and she was stripped of her skin, which got Monroe's attention to Pinhead, who had been awakened. Around the same time when Terri goes to the Boiler Room due to a misunderstanding, Joey gets a visit from the good side of Spencer, or the human before he unlocked the Lament Configuration before becoming Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley, that she must reunite Spencer's spirit to Pinhead and use the Lament Configuration to send him back to Hell.
As speaking of Hell, the movie now picks up when Pinhead is free, and now it becomes Hell on Earth as the title goes. I think the story is decent enough to warrant what it was going for. It's just that it takes its sweet ass time to even get to the part when Pinhead gets free and Joey has to run off with the box at hand in order to reunite the good spirit of Spencer back into Pinhead. Though seeing Doug Bradley as both Spencer and Pinhead is a nice touch. We did see him a couple of times back in the second Hellraiser movie with as little information as you'd look up the character, it's decent. The other issue is that the second half of the movie does have a pacing issue, as well.
I find Joey a good character for what they wanted to do with her, but it seems the script was a different story. That could go the same for the other characters like Terri and Monroe. It may sound like I didn't care for them, but their writing is all over the wall. Especially with their acting. Aside from Doug Bradley performing as two characters, everyone else is just a bland, boring slate. I often wonder about Joey's father being Spencer's friend since they both served in the Vietnam War due to those dreams she would often get. Yet what way to reach out to your friend's daughter then a dream, right Spencer?
Moving aside from the humans, let's talk about the Cenobites. Pinhead is now a villain in this when he was more of an aura farmer in the previous two movies. He delivers amazing for what he does on Earth, especially during that scene in the church. Doug Bradley really steals the show whether he's Spencer or Pinhead. The designs of the new Cenobites that were introduced in the second half of the film look cool as they are authentic for how they are made by Pinhead himself. The effects used are kind of a hit-and-miss for me when some of them are believable while some of them can be goofy at times. But the carnage candy doesn't miss, like how it mostly happens at the Boiler Room. It just took as much time as I had mentioned before just to get to that part.
Yeah, that's all I have for this review. I think this is kinda like guilty pleasure, as much as I would admit. It's just a slog at times with some pacing and acting, but it becomes worth it when we reach the second half of the movie. It is a step backward from the second movie as it was a step backward from the first movie. However, it wasn't the worst sequel when we hadn't gotten to the next several movies we have left in our bucket list. I guess it will start the next movie when the franchise goes down the toilet, yes? Well, we'll see.
For now, I will give Hell on Earth five and a half Spencer and Pinhead face-to-face out of ten. 5.5/10.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
10/06/25
Full Review
chris m
balance.
'hellraiser III: hell on earth' manages to maintain the grotesque, visual, and gore essence that defines the saga, but it presents a more intriguing and striking opening compared to its predecessor. from the very first minutes, the film captures attention by skillfully balancing the disturbing atmosphere with a narrative that is not limited solely to the explicit and raw.
paula marshall’s performance as terri brings a distinct personality to the character that elicits mixed reactions, whether due to intentional characterization or an acting style memorable for its peculiarity. in any case, the presence of typical elements such as female nudity and sexual scenes seems a recurring hallmark in this type of films (slashers), integrated into the story without feeling forced (though occasionally it does).
one of the most notable achievements is the introduction of pinhead into the plot and the initial dynamic established with one of the main characters, which adds depth to the story and provides clearer context for the viewer—something that was missing in previous installments. and it’s not limited to pinhead alone.
the film also stands out for its originality regarding the fates of the characters, avoiding the monotony of repetition. although the core plot may remind viewers of patterns seen before in the saga, the screenplay, direction, and narrative coherence are noticeably stronger than in the second installment.
in terms of design and makeup, while not as extreme as in earlier entries, there is a clear and commendable effort, especially in key scenes—such as the nightclub setting—where visual work and special effects significantly contribute to the atmosphere.
a recurring but still debatable point is the protagonist’s survival in critical situations, a narrative device that can feel somewhat predictable and often seems forced due to the character’s central role in the story.
the new designs of the cenobites bring freshness and help dispel the feeling of repetition, while the ending provides a satisfying closure that resolves several previously raised questions.
while 'hellraiser III: hell on earth' significantly reduces the focus on the duality between pleasure and pain that characterized earlier entries, this theme does not disappear entirely. it remains present in the plot, albeit more subtly and less dominantly, reflecting a narrative shift without abandoning its fundamental roots.
in conclusion, 'hellraiser III: hell on earth' clearly surpasses the second part, offering a balance between horror and narrative that makes it more enjoyable and dynamic, although it still falls slightly behind the first installment in terms of impact and originality. the visual effects, while not perfect, are more appealing and enjoyable for today’s audience.
overall, the film feels short and entertaining, a solid return to the saga that, without reaching the original’s excellence, provides a balanced and strong experience for fans and genre enthusiasts alike.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
08/10/25
Full Review
Jude H.
Hell on earth is a fun wild mess. And its messy in a good way. If you like moterhead, hellraiser and random kills and explosions happening then check this one out
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
07/12/25
Full Review
thiago s
Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
07/02/25
Full Review
Eric G
Not a very good sequel. The overall plot is decent, but the acting and character design are pretty awful. Also, there's the story of the priest who eats Pinheads flesh which goes unfinished.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
05/16/25
Full Review
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