The infamous puzzle box is found by a troubled young woman who will, inevitably, have to confront the merciless Cenobites.
Watching the trailer, I couldn’t help but ask myself, what’s wrong with it? Well, for starters, it didn’t look “dirty” enough. Then, it didn’t look gory. It revealed too much in too little time and, consequently, didn’t leave much to look forward to. Anyway, the marketing could have been rubbish, so I couldn’t wait for the film itself.
The inciting incident at the billionaire’s mansion will get you hooked but will not excite you. It’s a good start, but it could have been much better. The characters themselves are decent; more investment has been made in Riley, and Odessa A’zion nails it as a troubled personality. The rest were so and so. Therefore, whatever happens to them as the narrative unfolds will not bring tears to your eyes, and you probably won’t even say, ‘Oh no!’.
Speaking of narrative, the film follows the same recipe its predecessors did, offering really nothing new or groundbreaking. The only “new” is the digital VFX and make-up that do the film no favours whatsoever. Unfortunately, that is an even greater weakness than the narrative because it makes the Cenobites look… fake. And if they look fake, the illusion of their “reality” crumbles. Hellraiser (2022) is the typical example of the parts being greater than the sum – when it should have been the other way around.
Favourite moments include but are unfortunately limited to the beginning of the bathroom sequence, the beginning of the infirmary sequence, and the introduction of the notepad. The bathroom doesn’t come through – nothing happens, the infirmary gets you excited – and leaves you hanging, and the notepad, as informative as it may be, is not enough to make it the film it deserves to be: A film that represents unfathomable gore, twisted darkness, and unbearable infliction of pain.
Here’s my advice: if you want to discover director David Bruckner’s true talent, watch these: VHS (2012) – his, but also all segments, Southbound (2015) – a favourite of mine, The Ritual (2017) (one of my earliest reviews, really synoptic), and The Night House (2020).
P.S. It’s funny how Netflix raises the issue of Lionel Dahmer profiting from the book and the publishing company from the graphic novel. If you know what I mean…
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