Hellraiser: Inferno is a 2000 US horror film directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose; Sinister; Deliver Us from Evil) from a screenplay he wrote with Paul Boardman. It is the fifth instalment in the Hellraiser series and the first Hellraiser film to go straight-to-DVD. It was released on October 3, 2000.
The film stars Doug Bradley, Craig Sheffer (Nightbreed; Dracula II: Ascension), Nicholas Turturro (The Hillside Strangler; Nurse 3D) and James Remar (Blade: Trinity; Dexter).
Plot teaser:
Joseph Thorne is an intelligent yet corrupt Denver police detective who regularly indulges in drug use and infidelity during the course of duty. At the scene of what appears to be a ritual murder, Thorne discovers a strange puzzle box, which he takes home in order to indulge his fascination with puzzles. After solving the box, Thorne begins to experience bizarre hallucinations, such as being seduced by a pair of mutilated women and being chased by a creature with no eyes or legs.
Thorne also makes a connection between the murder and a killer known as “The Engineer,” who is suspected of having kidnapped a child. Thorne goes in search of the Engineer, who in turn begins murdering Thorne’s friends and associates, leaving behind one of the child’s fingers at every crime scene…
Reviews:
A sort of gritty urban noir trapped in its hero’s nightmare, Inferno feels less like a Hellraiser movie than a follow-up to Jacob’s Ladder (or maybe a predecessor to Silent Hill), floating dream-like through hallucinatory David Lynchian visions and downplaying plot in favor of the surreal. Pinhead, the face of the long-dead franchise, makes only what amounts to a cameo appearance, giving the whole experience the impression of being a standalone horror script re-written as Hellraiser-related at the last minute. And though it is sometimes plagued by the problems typical of low-budget horror, you can tell at all times that Inferno has a lot of ambition for a B-grade picture of its kind.” Calum Marsh, Esquire
“Often misunderstood by viewers and critics alike, Hellraiser: Inferno remains one of the most effective sequels to the Hellraiser franchise. Although the story has little to do with Clive Barker’s original vision, the movie remains an effective experiment into the terrors of the human psyche and the ability of a human being to create his or her own personal hell. The nature of terror — not horror — is rarely explored well, but Hellraiser: Inferno manages to do so with solid aplomb.” Examiner.com
“The closer we move to the end of the film the more Inferno starts to lose its charm, as it becomes more of a Jacob’s Ladder knock off than a Hellraiser film, full of kooky hallucinations and spazzy demons. I was forgiving a lot – such as the blah new Cenobites – but once we reached the twist that James Remar’s character, police psychiatrist Dr. Paul Gregory, has been Pinhead all along and that really nothing in the movie had ever happened, the ever more precarious story lost its balance for me.” Joshua Miller, CHUD.com
Cast:
- Doug Bradley as Pinhead
- Craig Sheffer as Detective Joseph Thorne
- Nicholas Turturro as Detective Tony Nenonen
- James Remar as Dr. Paul Gregory
- Nicholas Sadler as Bernie
- Noelle Evans as Melanie Thorne
- Lindsay Taylor as Chloe
- Matt George as Leon Gaultier
- Michael Shamus Wiles as Mr. Parmagi
- Sasha Barrese as Daphne Sharp
- Kathryn Joosten as Mother
- Jessica Elliot as Young Joseph’s Mother
- Carmen Argenziano as Captain
- J B Gaynor as Young Joseph
Choice dialogue:
“Go to Hell!”
Plot keywords:
body piercing | candles | chess | Cenobites | cocaine | corrupt | crime scene | delusion | Denver | detective | fetish gear | hallucinations | hospital | ice cream van | investigation | mansion | motel | murder | mutilation | Pinhead | professor | prostitute | suspect | voiceover
