Hellraiser: Inferno

Hellraiser: Inferno is the fifth installment in the Hellraiser film series, and is notable for two major reasons. It is the first of the series out of theaters, after Hellraiser IV: Bloodline concluded, and is also the first film without any major involvement from Clive Barker. That makes it feel almost cruel that I find Inferno to be the best of the series.
    The Hellraiser franchise isn’t one that I grew up enjoying, rather, it was one I decided to pursue later down the line and found an appreciation for. Since then, I have read the book for which it was based, as well as many of the comics based on the story. And, while I enjoy The Hellbound Heart‘s creative means of torture (exaggerating the senses and so on), I think the comic-books might be the definitive interpretation of the characters.

     The films never really had my acclaim, but I found moments I enjoyed. The first film was functional, but it was more than a little rough around the edges. A lot of that has to do with Clive Barkers’ lack of experience as a director, the budget, and just the fact the idea of the Hellraiser is better in concept than in execution. The second film and the fourth film were godawful, with the fourth film being especially terrible. And, while the third isn’t “good,” I enjoyed its more ridiculous themes.
    A lot of the reason I didn’t like the later films is because they became so overly complicated and it moved the characters in a direction that was very peculiar and unnecessary. What I liked about the Cenobites was their aesthetics and mystique, and I think Inferno capitalizes more on that.

    Granted, yes, Inferno is a script taken and morphed into a Hellraiser film, and granted, yes, I know Pinhead is only in it for like ten or so minutes, but I liked the unique approach.

    Scott Derrickson has become one of my favorite horror directors (he also did Sinister and Deliver Us From Evil) and it’s a testament to him that I can watch every Hellraiser film and single out his film as the standout.
     The film isn’t without its flaws, and upon watching it, I can tell you that it really isn’t a contender for my “favorite” horror, but it is a solid film. It plays out like a detective movie, the main-character trying to catch this deplorable man named The Engineer, and while it doesn’t have a large kill-count or very much extreme violence, it does offer commendable performances and enjoyable, if archetype-like, characters.

    Hellrasier: Inferno is likely the furthest you can go from a Hellraiser film and is nowhere at all what Clive Barker intended, but I still like their inclusion in the narrative, how the film was done and put together. It admittedly holds a place in my heart because while marathoning the series, Inferno was the saving grace, but it’s still a film I can recommend!