Hellraiser: Revelations Review

Yet another sequel in the Hellraiser franchise. Now, some of them have been reasonable, some of them have been downright weird (I’m thinking of Deader). On the surface, Revelations is a tame reflection of the two original films. It’s Pinhead for a new generation, and what starts off as a found-footage monotony then evolves into a decent horror flick true to the mythos.

Now, of course, Doug Bradley is a legend as “Pinhead,” but unfortunately he does not make an appearance in this film (I guess he might be too old now). Instead there is a new version, played by “Stephan Smith Collins,” and he lacks the pious condescension that made Bradley so spooky. And the fake British accent doesn’t help, either.

In Revelations, Stephen (Nick Eversman) and Nico (Jay Gillespie) are spoilt American teens who go on a bender in Mexico. During this visit they encounter the Lament Configuration, and disappear. The major part of the movie takes place back in the US, where their parents meet up for dinner. Stephen’s sister Emma (Tracey Fairaway) discovers the box in Stephen’s room and opens it. The house is plunged in the Cenobite’s dimension, and the two families try vainly to understand and survive what is happening.

There is something of a social commentary here: disenfranchised and entitled youths seek to alleviate boredom in Mexico. They are the perfect subjects for the Vagrant and his puzzle box. This is done in a subtle way which does not detract from the general hellraising shenanigans. It turns out that both families are equally as fucked up, and we waste little sympathy on them as things head south.

Hellraiser: Revelations is a good little film (75 mins!) true to the spirit of the original Hellraiser masterpiece. It’s creepy and gory in the right places, and is a welcome addition to the dubious line of sequels that have come before.