Hellraiser 5: Inferno

This was a very good movie. I'm a big fan of the Hellraiser series and I was very disappointed when I first saw Bloodlines. But this was a good one. The disturbing thing is the role of pinhead. In all other movies he is a messenger of ultimate pain an desperation, an active tormentor of souls, so in his role he is very disposable this time. This story doesn't need "Hellraiser" written on it's label to become a success. On the other hand it has more similarities with the book than Hellraiser 2, 3 and 4. Good actors, some good SFX, a dark, violent atmosphere and an entertaining story sum up to one of the best sequels for a long time.

A shady police detective (Craig Sheffer) becomes embroiled in a strange world of murder, sadism and madness after being assigned a murder investigation against a madman known only as "The Engineer".

So, the story is that parts five through eight of Hellraiser were actually other films that had the script tweaked in order to make them part of the franchise, under the idea that more people would rent or buy the movie if it had Pinhead in it. Well, that last part is certainly true: many Hellraiser fans rented or bought this film and were gravely disappointed.

The problem is that this is actually a decent movie... except the Hellraiser parts. A corrupt cop tracking a serial killer, while going mad and being taunted by the killer? That always works. But why would Pinhead involve himself in this? It makes no sense with the character or the story as we know it. Remove the chains and Pinhead, and you have a good story that actually makes some level of sense.

So, now what about the franchise? Is it screwed? Do we ignore this and other films or do we just say it got worse as it went? Horror franchises going downhill is pretty standard, but by accepting this one into the mix, we are muddling the mythology. Why did they do this?

Well i watched this film on Terrestrial TV having been a fan of the 1st and 2nd in the saga but truly hating the 3rd and 4th. I must admit, it's pretty good.

The film severely sidesteps from the 'all out gore' of the previous 4 and instead introduces an element of suspense which honestly kept me watching the film throughout without wanting to take a quick break away from the TV.

Acting is Solid, Bradley again as Pinhead is flawless even though his screen presence has been toned down. Sheffer is excellent as the main character, delivers his lines very well and was very convincing in the more dramatic scenes of the movie. James Remar is surprisingly good also in his supporting role as the Doctor.

The film's suspense really reminded me of the silent hill games and the films characters were all pretty dark and untrustworthy. Even Sheffers character was sleazy and a bad cop.

As for the gore, it is still there, but not quite as nasty as what we have come to expect from a hellraiser movie. It was introduced when it needed to be, though I have to say the cenobites were nowhere near as gruesome as they should be.

Overall the film is really worth watching. Credit to the Director and the Writer for being brave enough to change the whole element of the Hellraiser Saga......but then again.....the saga really needed to be saved.

7. out of 10.

Hellraiser: Inferno marks the first juncture in the franchise where ideas deviated beyond the formula set in place by the first borderline surreal, masochist piece.

Gone is the dreamy, sordid aesthetic used back then, the Cenobites who were front and centre are reduced to limited appearances and the story is less otherworldly and something decidedly more noirish and down to earth. Whether that's accepted by franchise die-hards and horror hounds alike is subjective, but I didn't mind it's slow burn approach or sidewinding tone. Craig Sheffer, the closest thing you'll get to Josh Brolin without breaking the bank, plays a crooked Detective who finds himself dragged down a rabbit hole of creepy, murderous goings-on when he's assigned to hunt a serial killer known as 'The Engineer'. Of course the murders always seem one step ahead of his grasp, and naturally dark secrets from his sketchy past are brought to light as he gradually begins to lose his mind. Doug Bradley does eventually return as the iconic Pinhead, with a few members of the Cenobite posse, but their presence is kept mostly on the back burner for quite a while. Taking antagonist duties for a while instead is Sheffer's eerie psychiatrist, played with sinister charm and knowing charisma by James Remar, a dubious fellow with a few tricks up his own sleeve. This is the one entry that sticks out from the franchise in it's diversion from the usual path of distinct, abstract psychosexual horror and mutes the whole icy nightmare down to rebuild a story in it's own image. You'll either appreciate the initiative, or you'll miss the good ol' freakshow of the original film. Up to you.

...as long as you keep in mind they tried to do something different with the franchise. As such, the fifth installment is more of a supernatural morality tale in the line of Angel Heart and Jacob's Ladder. Everything does make sense, if you get all the way to the end.

Whether you like the inclusion of the Cenobites depends on whether you think they have to be center-stage or not. They basically do what they're supposed to here, and this movie does a better job of establishing how they torture people (as opposed to just ripping people apart in ugly ways) then the previous movies have done. The idea that they engage in psychological torture is one that none of the previous movies in the series have expanded upon in any great depth (although the fact they inflict pleasure as well as pain still needs to be touched upon a little more - the twin she-Cenobites kinda hint at this, though).

Basically this is perhaps the more subtle of the movies in the series, due to the apparent requirement that the Cenobites not play a large part. Rewatch it a time or two without the expectations that this will be a blood-oozing, skin-rippping "Pinhead movie" like the others, and you might be surprised.