It can’t be easy for any filmmaker to successfully revive a horror movie franchise after ten episodes, but director David Bruckner and Co. have done just that with Hulu’s new Hellraiser movie. Not quite a remake, the film reboots the franchise by introducing Jamie Clayton as a new incarnation of Pinhead in an all-new, original story. Original creator Clive Barker was involved as a producer on the story for this new film from David S. Goyer, Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski.
The critical reception of Hellraiser has been very strong. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has achieved a Certified Fresh score of 71% on the Tomatometer. The audience rating was also excellent, with a score of 90% at the time of writing. Making this debut Hellraiser currently the highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes and barely surpasses the original Hellraiser70% score. That movie also has an audience rating of 73%, making the new Hellraiser the highest in that regard as well. There will certainly be a long time Hellraiser fans who insist the original is still the best, but when it comes to the collective reviews, the new movie is the current champion.
While nothing will ever replace the brilliance and horror of the original 1987 film, Hellraiser (2022) is a terrifying and dignified return for our beloved Pinhead,” writes Melissa Hannon of Horror Geek Life.
“I found it much more entertaining than the original, definitely easier to follow, with decent jump scares and unsettling sequences of pain and suffering, which should please fans new and old alike,” commented. QiiBO‘s Jorge Rivera Rubio.
Matthew Jackson from looper wrote: “It’s the first Hellraiser film in years to really feel like it captures some of the graceful majesty of the first two films, while also acting as an extension of the mythology.
“David Bruckner has created a new chapter that plays by the rules of the canon and combines them with an exciting, well-structured story that allows the film to offer fans what they are looking for and hoping for,” said Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend.
Following many others who have praised Jamie Clayton’s Pinhead, IGNs Matt Donato wrote: “Hellraiser is a blood-pumping revived reboot, starting with Jamie Clayton’s dignified Pinhead performance that sets a fresh tone with immense reverence for the works of Clive Barker.”
Only two Hellraiser movies are fresh on Rotten Tomatoes
With Hulus Hellraiser sitting at 71% and the original at 70%, these are the only two films in the series to have a new rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Needless to say, critics haven’t always been kind to the films in this series, especially with some of the sequels that landed a terrible 0% rating. If you’re curious, you can check out the list of movies in the series with their respective Tomatometer scores below.
- Hellraiser (1987) – 70%
- Hellbound: Hellraiser II – 50%
- Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth – 40%
- Hellraiser: Bloodline – 24%
- Hellraiser: Inferno – 17%
- Hellraiser: Hellseeker – 0%
- Hellraiser: Deader – 13%
- Hellraiser: Hellworld – 0%
- Hellraiser: Revelations – 0%
- Hellraiser: Judgment – 36%
- Hellraiser (2022) – 71%
As mentioned above, the scores for the new Hellraiser movie may change in the coming weeks as more reviews pour in, but for now Pinhead can celebrate its current status as the franchise’s highest-rated movie on Rotten tomatoes. You can now stream the movie on Hulu.