All Hellraiser films rated by Tomatometer

TAGGED WITH: Horror, Movies

(Photo by New World Releasing/Courtesy of Everett Collection)

Clive Barker may not have as many film adaptations as his horror writer Stephen King, but at least Barker’s directorial debut, 1987’s Hellraiser, is leagues above King’s sole directorial effort. Maximum overdrive. Barker also wrote the screenplay for Hellraiser (after his novella The heart of hell), introduces the freaky icon Pinhead, his cenobite henchmen, and whips some sadomasochism into the modern horror scene. Besides the instantly recognizable look of the spiky cenobites, the other hallmark of the Hellraiser films is the puzzle box, which offers a fast and torturous journey to another dimension. Doug Bradley portrayed Pinhead in the first eight Hellraiser films, which, like many other franchises, saw less and less critical and viewer success as the series progressed. A restart and readjustment of Hellbound Heart Released in 2022. – Alex Vo

Adjusted score: 86815%

Critics consensus: A gift for long-suffering fans after numerous underperforming sequels, David Bruckner Hellraiser Unlocks the puzzle box to get this franchise back on track.

Summary: A new take on Clive Barker’s 1987 horror classic, in which a young woman struggling with addiction takes possession… [More]

Adjusted score: 73614%

Critics consensus: Sublime through the fiendishly unique vision of writer-director Clive Barker, Hellraiser offers a disturbing – and sadistically clever – alternative to mindless gore.

Summary: Sexually deviant Frank (Sean Chapman) accidentally opens a portal to Hell while tinkering with a box he bought while… [More]

Adjusted score: 50377%

Critics consensus: Hellbound: Hellraiser II retains the twisted visual thrill of its predecessor, although seams are already showing in the plot.

Summary: Confined to a mental hospital, young Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) insists her supposedly dead father is trapped in Hell, controlling… [More]