Hellraiser

Another disappointing experience that softens the sadomasochistic implications of the original to follow a less disturbing and much more conventional path. It's the reinvention of tame horror, because it feels more creative on the surface than deep down, coming up with interesting atmospheric solutions without building a mythology that actually brings real purpose to the cenobites as a reflection of human desires.

You’re less likely to enjoy this the further away you are from its target audience. It leans more towards the _Saw_ side than the _Scream_ side of teenage horror; it’s really vapid and witless. A little less edgy and angsty perhaps, and it uses more of a goth aesthetic, but still so much of it feels contrived and cliché nevertheless. Some interesting visual ideas here and there, but also a lot of wonky acting, cheesy dialogue, uninteresting characters, awkward pacing, odd editing choices and underlit scenes (yes, I did take into account that this is a horror movie). It manages to build some scary atmosphere at points (props for not relying on jump scares), however I never felt completely engaged by it. Maybe that’s due to me not being the target audience, but then again we also just got _Bodies, Bodies, Bodies_, which is a lot better and you should probably watch that instead. 4/10