Hellraiser (1987) Dir: Clive Barker
- Ridley Coote
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
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Clive Barker's 1987 classic horror has been on my watchlist ever since I began getting into the horror genre, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I finally watched it. As readers of my other reviews will know by now, I love a classic horror, and 'Hellraiser' looked like it would be me all over. It is one of those classic horrors that is beloved by its fans, and one that has since spawned its fair share of sequels and remakes - I knew I had to watch the original, at the very least, and likely the sequels too.
Within the first four minutes of watching the film, I knew I was in for a gloriously gruesome viewing experience. The practical effects were super goopy and absurd, which is just what I expected from the film, based on its reputation in the horror community. There are few things more satisfying in a film than great practical effects, and this film was full of them. Some of the prosthetics used for character designs were absolutely brilliant; an awesome mix of gross and over-the-top. It really made the 'Hellraiser' name feel earned.
The narrative was a lot more cohesive and straight forward than I imagined it might be, but I quite enjoyed that. The storytelling was extremely focused, and this directness meant that it was a very easy to watch and well-paced film. I loved how the story utilised a Pandora's Box style concept, combined with the notion of sealing one's own fate - it's a thematically rich and genuinely quite terrifying story template. It made every appearance of the film's titular cube feel like a true harbinger of doom and death for the protagonists.
There were some pretty decent performances from the cast, with Ashley Laurence providing the best of them. Once the story began to centre around her, I thought she fit the role of protagonist and would-be final girl really well. I was also impressed by Clare Higgins increasingly deranged character work, particularly in the second half of the film. I thought she and Andrew Robinson had strong chemistry, and the pair of them produced some really unnerving scenes together. Robinson was very good at portraying the more sinister part of his role - especially in the final third of the film.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this gruesome and deliciously demonic horror film. It felt like the pinnacle of Eighties practical effects and horror mixed into one great film. For me, it goes up there with films like 'The Thing' and 'Alien' as true classics that belong in the upper echelon of the horror genre. It's a film that has helped to shape and define a genre for so many filmmakers and fans alike, and one that I'm glad to have finally ticked off my list.
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