New Hellraiser Movie Sets Franchise Record on Rotten Tomatoes

By Spencer Perry

This week sees the return of the Hellraiser franchise as Hulu and Spyglass Media's new movie arrives on the streaming platform. Reviews for the new film, directed by David Bruckner and starring actor and model Jamie Clayton as Pinhead, have started to roll in and they've actually quite positive...they're really positive. In fact, the new film is sitting at an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a "Certified Fresh" distinction from the critic aggregator. This score not only gives the Hellraiser series its best reviews in years, it's now the highest rated film of all time in the horror franchise.

As of this writing, 2022's Hellraiser was not only the highest rated of the series but has 47 reviews total, almost as many as the original film that was written and directed by Clive Barker. The critical consensus for the film currently reads: "A gift for long-suffering fans after numerous subpar sequels, David Bruckner's Hellraiser unlocks the puzzle box for getting this franchise back on the right track"  Here's how the scores breakdown for the Hellraiser franchise:

  • Hellraiser (1987) – 70%
  • Hellbound: Hellraiser II – 50%
  • Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth – 40%
  • Hellraiser IV: Bloodline – 24%
  • Hellraiser: Inferno – 17%
  • Hellraiser: Hellseeker – 0%
  • Hellraiser: Deader –  13%
  • Hellraiser: Hellworld  – 0%
  • Hellraiser: Revelations  – 0%
  • Hellraiser: Judgment – 36%
  • Hellraiser (2022) – 85%

ComicBook.com's own Patrick Cavanaugh rated the film a four out of five, writing in part: "This new take on Hellraiser is just as gruesomely gorgeous as the best entries in the franchise and its narrative is engaging enough to keep us interested, despite knowing how many of our protagonists will feel the pain of the Cenobites, both to the delight and dismay of viewers. We only hope that this Hellraiser and Jamie Clayton's Hell Priest bring the pain and pleasure of the series back to its rightful throne of glory."

In the all-new Hellraiser, a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension. Hellraiser (2022) lands on Hulu on October 7th.  

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