User Reviews

...as long as you keep in mind they tried to do something different with the franchise. As such, the fifth installment is more of a supernatural morality tale in the line of Angel Heart and Jacob's Ladder. Everything does make sense, if you get all the way to the end.

Whether you like the inclusion of the Cenobites depends on whether you think they have to be center-stage or not. They basically do what they're supposed to here, and this movie does a better job of establishing how they torture people (as opposed to just ripping people apart in ugly ways) then the previous movies have done. The idea that they engage in psychological torture is one that none of the previous movies in the series have expanded upon in any great depth (although the fact they inflict pleasure as well as pain still needs to be touched upon a little more - the twin she-Cenobites kinda hint at this, though).

Basically this is perhaps the more subtle of the movies in the series, due to the apparent requirement that the Cenobites not play a large part. Rewatch it a time or two without the expectations that this will be a blood-oozing, skin-rippping "Pinhead movie" like the others, and you might be surprised.

A shady police detective (Craig Sheffer) becomes embroiled in a strange world of murder, sadism and madness after being assigned a murder investigation against a madman known only as "The Engineer".

So, the story is that parts five through eight of Hellraiser were actually other films that had the script tweaked in order to make them part of the franchise, under the idea that more people would rent or buy the movie if it had Pinhead in it. Well, that last part is certainly true: many Hellraiser fans rented or bought this film and were gravely disappointed.

The problem is that this is actually a decent movie... except the Hellraiser parts. A corrupt cop tracking a serial killer, while going mad and being taunted by the killer? That always works. But why would Pinhead involve himself in this? It makes no sense with the character or the story as we know it. Remove the chains and Pinhead, and you have a good story that actually makes some level of sense.

So, now what about the franchise? Is it screwed? Do we ignore this and other films or do we just say it got worse as it went? Horror franchises going downhill is pretty standard, but by accepting this one into the mix, we are muddling the mythology. Why did they do this?

I haven't seen too many of the Hellraiser films... I've seen the first, which I thoroughly enjoyed as a gory horror flick, and I've seen the second, which I found provided excellent comic relief, as everything was terribly overplayed and the poor script didn't help much either. So, I found this in Blockbuster, at a cheap renting fee, so I thought, what the heck, it might be entertaining. That isn't far from the truth... but why it is entertaining is possibly part of the problem with the film. I think it has a pretty good(no, scratch that; a very good) idea/basic premise... but the execution is flawed. The plot is somewhat good, and the pacing is OK. The acting is pretty standard... for a direct-to-video film. The special effects range, but are mostly fairly good. The gore is good, and some of the shocks work. But the film just suffers from so many problems... the plot is a mess. I didn't manage to keep track of how many times the main character wakes up and realizes that it was a dream... and the very ending... well, yes, it does make sense, but it just seems so... empty, somehow. The film is very low on actual scares. Like the second one, it's horribly overplayed and usually inspires laughter rather than fear. I kind of liked how the cenobites were played down in the story, like they were in the first one... these are not main characters of the franchise, not at all. They are the most well-known, sure, but not the main characters. The film is more about the main character facing his own personal demons, with the cenobites being there to clarify this... which is good. Only, much like the second, the cenobites didn't really scare me... they were seen too much, and didn't seem as powerful or terrifying as they did in the first. I liked how the film kind of was about this man finding himself in his own personal hell, but, once again, it just felt empty and wrong. There were far too many times where I found myself questioning the characters' actions and not understanding what was going on or why... not even after the film was over. In the end, you're just left with that feeling of "was that it?" and that's really quite a loss, even for a direct-to-video production. I did find this to be an OK entry to the franchise, but it's really only worth watching for those who want to see anything that has any relation to the Hellraiser series. I recommend this only to big fans of Hellraiser and fans of crime/drama/mystery/horror films, and, be warned, you might not like it at all... even if you are a very big fan of the franchise or of aforementioned genres. 5/10

Hellraiser Inferno was a great movie. The acting could have been better, but it took a completely different turn than I expected it to.

Pinhead is what he was in the first two Hellraisers, A judge of Hell. If you notice Hellraiser 3 and Bloodline make him the bad guy, while in the first two movies it was the humans who were the evil ones.

This movie requires you to THINK. If you don't like having to think about a movie don't watch it, but if you liked the Blair Witch Project, You will like this movie.

This sequel brings back the style of the first two, but with enough difference to shock you in new ways. I believe this movie gets the point across that I think Clive Barker was trying to get across when he started this series, You create your own Hell, and you confront your own demons.

This movie is not like the rest of the series. It is more of a psychological terror than a slasher film. Give this movie a chance, and think about it.

To start off with I am a Hellraiser/horror movie fan. I have been a fan of the Hellraiser characters from the beginning.

I have shuttered as each sequel excluding the 2nd which I loved, has gotten progressively worse but this has to be the bottom of the barrel I cant see it getting any worse than this. I watched this movie and still cant figure out who it was made for. It was not made for the Hellraiser or horror movie fan. Possibly it was made for the same people who like Halloween 3 I've gotten more scares watching a lifetime made for cable movie. 1.There was a total lack of direction, the movie never seemed to know whether it wanted to be a horror movie or a moralistic story on how if you do evil it will come back to haunt you. With all the possablities you could come up with using Pinhead they came up with a poormans NYPD BLUE and just added Pinhead in the role of some warped version of Jimeny Cricket.

2.The acting was stiff and it seemed as if the actors looked at cue cards the whole time.

3.Definate lack of Pinhead and the other Cenobites they mananaged to show more of them in the trailers than in the movie.

4.The sets and special effects where laughable.

5. The dialogue seemed written by someone in need of a quick paycheck it was worse than a tv movie.

The only thing I did like about this movie was that it came direct to video and I got it on a 2 for 1 night at the video store so it only cost a buck.

I saw this film alone in a "house container" in the middle of the night, during my 24H shift as the radio Duty Officer in a UN military camp in Eastern Africa. Maybe that's why it made such an impression on me, partly, anyway!

Whatever the unusual setting for viewing it, it must be said I'm a long time fan of Clive Barker and his universe(s), and that that of course helped in gearing up my imagination. In my opinion, the special Barker trademark, namely a mood of overwhelming and insanity-inducing Biblical horror, translates well to the screen in this film. The protagonist, played by Sheffer, remembered from another Barker movie, Nightbreed, is caught in a web that seems impossible to escape. Even though he's a real dumb b*****d, you just can't help feel a little sorry for him; the way he is manipulated by gruesome, hellish powers is almost too much. No way he can experience what he does without loosing his mind!

The acting isn't anything special, but I tell you, if you are capable of living yourself just a bit into the story, you'll feel like I did: That movie has warped my fragile little mind!

Advice: see it alone, tired, just before you are going to sleep, and with your senses alert to begin with - and you'll be ready to continue the roller coaster ride in troubled dreams afterwards. Disturbing! 7 out of 10.

I absolutely loved the first two in the series. The third was way too Hollywood to be good, but I guess some people might like it. Even Bloodline could at least make it to the theatre. Hellraiser: Inferno is HORRIBLE!!

There is nothing good about this movie! About ten minutes into the movie we see Pinhead for about (literally) 2 seconds. After that you have to wait until the last five minutes of the movie to see him again. Everything that was good about the other Hellraiser movies, 1 through 4, is missing from this worthless piece of trash. Anyone who gives this a good review or a rating of over 4 has obviously never seen another Hellraiser film. I won't be surprised if we never see another one.

Well i watched this film on Terrestrial TV having been a fan of the 1st and 2nd in the saga but truly hating the 3rd and 4th. I must admit, it's pretty good.

The film severely sidesteps from the 'all out gore' of the previous 4 and instead introduces an element of suspense which honestly kept me watching the film throughout without wanting to take a quick break away from the TV.

Acting is Solid, Bradley again as Pinhead is flawless even though his screen presence has been toned down. Sheffer is excellent as the main character, delivers his lines very well and was very convincing in the more dramatic scenes of the movie. James Remar is surprisingly good also in his supporting role as the Doctor.

The film's suspense really reminded me of the silent hill games and the films characters were all pretty dark and untrustworthy. Even Sheffers character was sleazy and a bad cop.

As for the gore, it is still there, but not quite as nasty as what we have come to expect from a hellraiser movie. It was introduced when it needed to be, though I have to say the cenobites were nowhere near as gruesome as they should be.

Overall the film is really worth watching. Credit to the Director and the Writer for being brave enough to change the whole element of the Hellraiser Saga......but then again.....the saga really needed to be saved.

7. out of 10.

Despite appreciating horror very much (with a lot of classic ones out there, such as 'Halloween', 'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'The Exorcist', plus the best of Hammer House of Horror), even if not my favourite genre, it took me a while to get round to watching the 'Hellraiser' franchise. Due to having so much to watch and review, and the list keeps getting longer and longer.

The film that started the franchise off is not only for me by far the best of the 'Hellraiser' films it also for me, and quite a few others it seems, is one of the stronger horror films of the 80s, though not quite of all time. What is meant by being by far the best of the 'Hellraiser' films is that it is the only one to be above very good, the nine sequels were very variable (leaning towards the disappointing) and the latter films particularly are suggestive of the franchise having run its course.

Found the second film to be by far the best of the sequels and tthird and fourth films to be watchable if problematic. It was with 'Hellraiser: Inferno' when the franchise took a turn for the worse, though much worse followed this. 'Hellraiser: Inferno' is actually one of the better post-'Hellraiser: Bloodline'.

'Hellraiser: Inferno' does have good things. If there is anything that is quite a bit better than 'Hell on Earth' and especially 'Bloodline' it is the acting in crucial roles, which by 'Hellraiser' sequels standards was not bad. Craig Sheffer was a decent lead and James Remar is solid in his role too. Cannot say anything bad about Doug Bradley who is still genuinely frightening in the little screen time he has.

It also doesn't look too awful, some atmospheric scenery, above average effects, unsettling enough photography. The film begins very well, being suitably creepy. It at least makes sense too and there is a nice unnerving atmosphere.

On the other hand, like others have said, one of the biggest problems is that it doesn't feel like a 'Hellraiser' film. Feeling more like a psychological/mystery/thriller with Pinhead and the Cenobites being thrown in in an afterthought fashion. This is further accentuated by that they are in the film far too little, they do work very well (as proven in the original) when mysterious and like catalysts rather than heavily focused on, and have next to nothing to do when they do appear. Pinhead's contribution is very memorable and he is still deserving of his horror icon status but the Cenobites have lost their creepiness and come over as goofy instead.

As a film judged as a standalone, 'Hellraiser: Inferno' is problematic. The editing is a bit all over the place and the direction doesn't seem assured or in control or at ease with the material. The characters are underdeveloped clichés with unclear and sometimes frustrating motivations and the writing continues to be laughably bad and too heavily reliant on goofiness and camp that juxtaposes too much. The story does lack tension, suspense and any surprises, while there is far too much focus on the hallucinatory sequences which looked good but slowed down the film and that ambition, intelligence and creativity had disappeared almost completely by this point of the franchise and replaced by camp, predictability and schlock. What had potential to be a dark and unsettling film is let down by the above, lacking energy and that while not overusing the gore or horror elements it feels somewhat toned down. The ending is not an incoherent parody or anything but it did feel rushed to me and the music does not fit in either placement or tone.

To conclude, didn't do much for me but far from the worst of the series. 4/10 Bethany Cox

This was a very good movie. I'm a big fan of the Hellraiser series and I was very disappointed when I first saw Bloodlines. But this was a good one. The disturbing thing is the role of pinhead. In all other movies he is a messenger of ultimate pain an desperation, an active tormentor of souls, so in his role he is very disposable this time. This story doesn't need "Hellraiser" written on it's label to become a success. On the other hand it has more similarities with the book than Hellraiser 2, 3 and 4. Good actors, some good SFX, a dark, violent atmosphere and an entertaining story sum up to one of the best sequels for a long time.

This movie is so bad, it's not worth explaining. There is nothing to explain anyway since it is made up of flashbacks and dreams, which is the tell tale sign of producers and writers with no idea of where to go. The acting is just as bad. The dialog is jaw-dropping bad - stick with what people expect in a Hellraiser movie. The editing is matches the movie - all over the place. The special effects are worthless. Even the lighting and the music doesn't fit. The entire mess leaves you scratching your head if you can even make through the first 30 minutes. The same is true for the next sequel (V) - it is just as bad. Stick with the first Hellraiser.

The first "Hellraiser" movie I ever saw. "Inferno" left me scarred and disturbed. The whole experience of watching the film was that of sheer terror that grows with each passing minute. Now after having seen all of the movies, read the novel and becoming accustomed the Hellraiser mythos I recently got a chance to watch it again. To see if my opinion on this fifth sequel changes. It didn't.

Yes "Inferno" does not follow the ideas established by Clive Barker in his novel "Hellbound Heart" which is the basis for the Hellraiser series. And yes it basically uses the status of Pinhead as a horror icon to draw an audience. But I'll be damned if I say that it is a bad film for just those reasons. "Inferno" is in fact a well constructed, technically superb sequel with an interesting plot and characters.

The film centers on Joseph Thorne played by Craig Sheffer. A brilliant but corrupt detective who during a homicide investigation comes into the possession Lemarchand Configuration. He opens the box and then it begins. Reality for Thorne soon turns into a nightmare that grows more and more powerful as his investigation leads him towards a mysterious figure known only as The Engineer.

"Inferno" explores the possibilities of redemption. Sheffer's character is certainly a very flawed individual and he knows it. But his determination to solve the case and hopefully save a human life is in his mind the path to redeeming himself, in front of his own eyes, his family, and those around him. Sheffer delivers a convincing performance which greatly helps in solidifying the idea. Other members of the cast include Nicholas Turturro playing Thorne's naive and honest partner Tony Nenonen, James Remar as a doctor Paul Gregory a psychiatrist and good old Doug Bradley once again playing his iconic role as the rational sadistic demon, Pinhead.

Visually speaking "Inferno" is as impressive as the first two "Hellraiser" movies. Gone are the b-movie quality effects and Cenobite designs which played part in the failure of the third and fourth films. Pinhead's image is not overused and he only appears during the final portion of the film when the nightmarish atmosphere is at it's highest. Delivering the final crucial blow to Thorne's broken psyche. The new cenobites are freakishly well done, and cleverly fit in to the movie's psychological character driven plot.

Severely underrated Scott Derrickson directed a great horror film that leaves strong a impression. Like a never-ending nightmare it keeps you constantly on the edge, expecting the unexpected.

Getting involved in a strange case, a police detective gradually comes to realize that he's far more involved in the crimes due to Pinhead and his demons and tries to stop it before it consumes him and his family.

This one is an utterly abysmal and barely worthwhile effort that doesn't have a lot of redeeming values. About the only thing that really works is the tension built up over the Cenobites and their few appearances here which are quite chilling in most cases. From the quick-shot glances of the faceless demon to the multitude of psychological tortures inflicted throughout the scenes in the hospital room or his flashback into his childhood home, these scenes with the Cenobites showing off their psychotic tendencies and mind-games are incredibly enjoyable and really seem to come from a better movie altogether. That's mainly due to the massive amount of flaws present which are so damaging and detrimental that there's hardly anything about this that's worthwhile. The biggest issue here is this one spends so much time on the investigation and his mental stability that the film doesn't even feel like part of the rest of the series. There's so little time here with the creatures here who have at most five minutes of screen-time that their presence is wasted on such a film, so there's barely a real connection here to the series in this manner anyway. Those scenes focusing on his descent into madness are some of the most boring, dragged out scenes in the series that they just don't have any real more or suspense to them continually appearing for about twenty second sand causing him to go off on a long tangent that just makes for an utterly boring and cringe-worth series of scenes. In the midst of all this searching, we get useless scenes just to show that he has a tortured family life, then it's back to the investigation, being almost as maddening as the search. To make it even worse, the investigation scenes, which took up the majority of the movie, were just criminally slow and boring, and it can be pretty hard to see this one all the way through. Those issues by themselves would give this one a seriously bad name, but then it throws on top of those issues one more act here with the heinous factor of using the entire plot as a morality tale just makes this one unbearable. Not only is the choice to do this incredibly insipid and wasteful, but the entire purpose for including it is outright illogical as this was never a part of the series to begin with as they were always about punishing people so the need to teach him a lesion despite being the perfect person to torment makes this the single biggest flaw in here and that makes this one near impossible to come back from.

Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, Nudity, drug use and children-in-jeopardy.

Hellraiser: Inferno marks the first juncture in the franchise where ideas deviated beyond the formula set in place by the first borderline surreal, masochist piece.

Gone is the dreamy, sordid aesthetic used back then, the Cenobites who were front and centre are reduced to limited appearances and the story is less otherworldly and something decidedly more noirish and down to earth. Whether that's accepted by franchise die-hards and horror hounds alike is subjective, but I didn't mind it's slow burn approach or sidewinding tone. Craig Sheffer, the closest thing you'll get to Josh Brolin without breaking the bank, plays a crooked Detective who finds himself dragged down a rabbit hole of creepy, murderous goings-on when he's assigned to hunt a serial killer known as 'The Engineer'. Of course the murders always seem one step ahead of his grasp, and naturally dark secrets from his sketchy past are brought to light as he gradually begins to lose his mind. Doug Bradley does eventually return as the iconic Pinhead, with a few members of the Cenobite posse, but their presence is kept mostly on the back burner for quite a while. Taking antagonist duties for a while instead is Sheffer's eerie psychiatrist, played with sinister charm and knowing charisma by James Remar, a dubious fellow with a few tricks up his own sleeve. This is the one entry that sticks out from the franchise in it's diversion from the usual path of distinct, abstract psychosexual horror and mutes the whole icy nightmare down to rebuild a story in it's own image. You'll either appreciate the initiative, or you'll miss the good ol' freakshow of the original film. Up to you.

After the disappointing reception of Hellraiser: Bloodline in 1996, the Hellraiser series had little promise. But, apparently enough promise that the series would be released direct to video and the first film to do that was the fifth entry, Hellraiser: Inferno. Released in 2000, Hellraiser: Inferno was not originally meant to be a Hellraiser film but, the studio found it cheaper to take a pre existing script and shove Hellraiser elements to then make it a Hellraiser film. Hellraiser: Inferno was written and directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Craig Sheffer, Nicholas Turturro, James Remar, and Doug Bradley. The film would be enough of a success that the series would continue well after the release of this film on direct to video.

Detective Joseph Thorne (Craig Sheffer) is a shady cop. He does drugs, takes money from dead victims, and hooks up with prostitutes while he is still married. When he finds the Lament Configuration and opens it, people start dying and someone known as the Engineer is behind all of this.....

Hellraiser: Inferno is a peculiar film in many ways. First off, it does not feel like a Hellraiser film. But that is not a bad thing at all. This film is a psychological horror/thriller that is actually fairly well constructed. It just has Pinhead sprinkled throughout the film. Clearly though, this was all unintentional. They had no idea that the already pre existing script would actually work as a Hellraiser film. The film is still dark and creepy all around. But what this film does bring that is new to the series is a sense of mystery. The cop plot and the whole murder plot is very gripping and while one probably would catch on a bit too early as to what this all boils down to, it is still very interesting to watch. This story in a way reminds me of the first Max Payne game. It is a psychological thriller with a cop/detective who is apart of a much bigger scheme. The story is a slow burn all around (with this film even managing to be the Hellraiser film with the longest runtime) but it is well worth it when the film gets to the climax and eventually the reveal which, as mentioned before, does get made a little obvious before hand. For some, the story may get a little convoluted if thought about too much but is otherwise fairly straightforward. The main character is not very likeable in the least bit but that is most certainly the point of the film. The character of Pinhead is not present in the film for very long and has little impact on the plot. But on the other hand, it is nice to see Pinhead more so as a neutral force as seen in Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II. The other Cenobites are creepy enough and are fairly simple in design. Special effects are done by Gary Tunnicliffe who did effects for Hellraiser: Bloodline and would do effects for the rest of the series and even go and direct Hellraiser: Judgment. The special effects are nothing great and considering a small budget, you are very limited on things that you can do in a film. CGI is used a few times and it does not look terrible considering that this is a low budget, direct to video film. We do get a good look at some great practical effects but there is not too much of them. It is probably the least gory Hellraiser film up to this point in the series.

Hellraiser: Inferno is highly underrated but I am seeing this film slowly gathering a cult following and it brings a smile to my face. If you did not like Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth and Hellraiser: Bloodline, and you want something a little different, Hellraiser: Inferno is the film for you.

A sleazy detective becomes obsessed with catching a serial killer known as The Engineer.

Craig Sheffer stars as Joseph, a member of the Denver Police Department who is a complete sack of crap. He abuses, cheats on, lies to, or steals from every person unfortunate enough to cross paths with him. However, he is also pretty smart and analytical.

After the horrific death of a former classmate, Joseph becomes embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game with The Engineer, a serial killer who leaves a child's severed finger at every crime scene. Nicholas Turturro co-stars as Sheffer's by-the-book partner, along with James Remar as a police psychologist who had a previous run in with The Engineer.

Hellraiser: Inferno, the fifth entry in the series, is a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Whereas the previous sequels ride the coattails of the original film, Inferno does its own thing and tells as stand alone story. The main reason for this is that it wasn't originally a Hellraiser story; it was a spec script that Dimension added the Cenobites to. I don't see this as a problem at all though, as I'm pretty sure the only major change that was made was flipping Satan -> Pinhead.

Compared with this rest of the series, this movie also has a different tone to it. Rather than body horror, Hellraiser: Inferno is instead a psychological horror in the vein of something like Silent Hill. Your milage my vary, but I thought filmmakers were very successful going in this direction.

Speaking of direction, this movie was helmed by Scott Derrickson in his first ever turn behind the camera. Derrickson later went on to direct movies like Doctor Strange (2016) and The Black Phone (2021). Frankly you can see the talent, especially compared to the other Hellraiser sequels.

Hellraiser: Inferno was the first of many direct-to-video films in the series, but fortunately it doesn't show that much. There are a couple terrible scenes using computer effects, but the Cenobites look good due to the movie mostly relying on practical effects. Though the acting isn't great in general, it's way better than most of the Hellraiser movies.

I may be too high on Hellraiser: Inferno, but I found it to be above average. Many fans of the series are lower on it than I am due to the fact that Pinhead has very limited screen time. I find this to be a huge plus. The previous sequels went into the wrong direction of turning Pinhead into a boogeyman who needs to be defeated by the protagonists. Here, he returns to his role simply as a demon who inflicts torture on those unfortunate enough to open the Lament Configuration puzzle.

Overall, this is my favorite Hellraiser sequel up to this point. That might sound blasphemous for me to say about this direct-to-video entry, but it's significantly better than the previous two sequels, and I even find it to be better than the good but more bombastic Hellbound: Hellraiser II. IMDB currently has this film at a 5.4, but I'd be curious to see what the score was looking at only the last 10 years, as this film has seemed to age well with horror fans. I think the movie should be around a 6.5, so I'm grading up a little by giving it a 7. Either way, take this review with a grain of salt.

With 5 and 6 it really seems like someone presents a script to the studio and the studio goes "hmmm why dont we throw in 3 minutes worth of Hellraiser stuff and we can market this as a Hellraiser sequel?" These stories could almost stand on there own if slightly modified without any ideas from the Hellraiser world, Is the make-up effects budget so low for these filmes that they can only give the cenobites a few minutes of total screen time in the whole movie? I would love to see new sequels written from the start with the Hellraiser universe in mind, and not some cheesey cop/detective/gumshoe/who-dunit with sex scenes for the male demographic crap. And thats all I have to say about that.

Hellraiser: Inferno is a mystery horror movie directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Craig Sheffer, Nicholas Turturro, James Remar, Nicholas Sadler and Doug Bradley in the leads.

The movie is the fifth instalment of the hellraiser series.

The movie is surprisingly good and gripping and can't understand why lots of people has given negative reviews. Although it's very violent and gruesome but with tight screenplay the movie is entertaining.

Acting is great and strong with good direction. The movie is full of violence and blood and could be disturbing for certain viewers and their discretion is recommended.

Overall a good movie with a very strong climax.

I must admit to expressing a certain level of cynasism when I selected Inferno from my local video store. While I had found the frist two installments of the Hellraiser Series to be both disturbing and visually breath taking I was in no way impressed with three and four and am usually very sceptical about any direct to video horror movies. In this case I had little need to be.

The production values throughout this film are far above it's direct to video peers. The lighting and set designs are of the same caliber as many theatrically released horror movies. I will admit that the production design doesn't compare to sureal atmosphere of Hellraiser 1 & 2, but the this film seems to be grounded in a more gritty realistic environment. Craig Sheffer gives an excellent performance as the film's flawed protagonist a corrupt cop. He gives a minimally emotional performance giving his vice riden character a hollow and feel reflecting his soul's depravity. Character actor Nicholas Turturro gives an excellent performances as Sheffer's partner. The special effects and gore are far above those of a B-Movie. I was especially impressed with the transformation of pinhead.

What really sets this sequel apart from it's preadecesors is the script. In an inspired move writer/director Scott Derrickson choose to vary his story drastically from 3 & 4 an focus on the seductive nature of evil and takes the form of a modern morality tale. It is essentially the story Sheffer's struggle to purify himself of his own corruption, and return to innocense. This is in many ways the movie The Bad Luetenant as interpreted through the horror genre. Yes, Pinhead and his demon companions on make short cameo appearances and this is bound to anger some fans. I must argue however that the dread of their presences is always felt in the films atmosphere, and their use in the "surprise" ending is very effective.

I do have some minors critasisms which prevent me from giving this film a ten rating. First of all the film as times does degrade to cliches from both horror films and police dramas. I also felt the use of the demons in cowboy hats performing martial arts border on being unbelievable. In order for a film to be entertaining the audience must be able to suspend disbelief moments like this are difficult to accept. Finally, there are several false ending to this film. While years ago this may have been seen as an inventive horror tactic in the eighties it has become static and predictable. In many ways it takes away from the viseral power of the films conclusion. I rate this film as an eight out of ten due to it's inventive interpretation of the Hellraiser Series, and I would recommend it to both fans and non-fans of the series.

Denver police Det. Joseph Thorne (Craig Sheffer) has a dark side. His newest case is the murder of a loner former classmate who got picked on by him and his friends. He finds the puzzle box among the belongings. He solves the box and the Cenobites appear. As he investigates further, he is pulled into a dark world searching for a sadistic opponent called The Engineer.

The best compliment I can give this straight to DVD movie is that it reminds me of Clive Barker. It has the leather S&M hypersexual monster designs. It has a flawed hard boiled detective protagonist. It has the nightmarish vision. It's directed by fresh-faced Scott Derrickson who would go on to bigger, better things. This is a really nice stepping stone. The only misstep is a side trip to cowboy country. It doesn't fit the general motif. Overall, this is an intriguing stab at a fading franchise by someone who obviously has a vision. Despite the lower budget, there are some interesting artistic attempts. It does take too many trips into the nightmare world when the only thing I want from Thorne is real investigating. I need him to be the chess master from the introduction.