The 2022 “Hellraiser” film enriches the established lore while remaining accessible to newcomers.
Directed by David Bruckner and penned by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, this reboot pays homage to Clive Barker’s 1987 classic.
As the 11th installment in the franchise, it doesn’t require prior knowledge of the previous ten films. But how does it rejuvenate the franchise?
At the end of the 2022 Hellraiser film, Riley realizes that slaying the Cenobites advances the puzzle box’s sinister agenda of getting more victims, leading her to conceive a daring plan. A twist reveals her boyfriend Trevor as a traitor working with the villain Voight. Riley then sacrifices Trevor to save Colin. Pinhead unveils her reward, resurrecting her brother Matt, but she rejects it, realizing he won’t be the same. In doing so, she inadvertently chooses a life marred by eternal regret over false hope.
What Is the Overall Plot of Hellraiser?
In the spine-chilling narrative of “Hellraiser,” a horrifying descent into darkness begins with Joey, a young man unwittingly summoned into a nightmarish scenario by the enigmatic Ronald Voight, portrayed by Goran Višnjić.
Voight lures Joey into a malevolent room and presents him with a perplexing puzzle box reminiscent of an ornate Rubik’s cube. It challenges Joey to unlock its cryptic secrets, an eerie prelude to the unfolding horrors.
The shocking twist occurs when Joey remarkably solves the enigmatic puzzle. In an instant, the box springs to life, revealing a concealed knife that swiftly claims Joey as its hapless victim.
This macabre event serves as the grim prologue to the disturbing odyssey that follows. Joey’s completion of the puzzle triggers a nightmarish metamorphosis.
A portal to a horrifying dimension opens, ensnaring Joey in demonic chains, marking the inception of his relentless torment. In the shadows, Voight fervently seeks an audience with the Leviathan, invoking eerie rituals and begging for a mysterious boon.
Meanwhile, the narrative introduces Riley McKendry, portrayed by Odessa A’zion, a recovering addict living with her brother Matt (Brandon Flynn) and his partner, Colin (Adam Faison).
Riley’s life takes a dangerous turn when she crosses paths with Trevor (Drew Starkey), a questionable influence who becomes a catalyst for her descent into darkness. Her brother’s warnings about Trevor’s harmful effects soon prove prophetic.
Trevor coerces Riley into participating in a daring heist at an abandoned warehouse in search of valuable cargo.
However, their discovery defies expectations—a peculiar puzzle box, though altered in form. As Riley grapples with her mounting troubles, she becomes estranged from her family, seeking solace in substances.
In her darkest hour, Riley confronts the enigmatic puzzle box, inadvertently revealing its concealed blade. This chilling act summons the High Priest, known as Pinhead (Jamie Clayton), the formidable leader of the extradimensional Cenobites.
Pinhead reveals a disturbing truth to Riley—the blade was destined for her.
She must now choose to accompany the Cenobites or designate another victim. As the puzzle box claims more lives, Riley’s brother Matt falls prey to its malevolent allure and is forcibly taken by the Cenobites, leaving Riley bewildered and alone.
Driven by desperation to rescue her brother, Riley tries to decipher the box’s horrifying mysteries and the gruesome sacrifices it demands. Each life claimed inches the puzzle box closer to a sinister “Configuration,” hinting at its dreadful purpose.
Ultimately, Riley herself becomes a victim, trapped by the box’s treacherous mechanisms. Pinhead extends a haunting proposition—two more sacrifices in exchange for her brother’s resurrection.
This ominous path to redemption offers six harrowing choices: Lament (life), Lauderant (love), Leviathan (power), Liminal (sensation), Lore (knowledge), and Lazarus (resurrection).
What happens next at the end of the film, what happens next will tingle anyone’s spine.
Explained: The Ending of Hellraiser
In the intense climax of the 2022 Hellraiser film, our protagonists, Riley, Trevor, and Colin, find themselves relentlessly pursued by the nightmarish Cenobites within Voight’s sinister mansion.
As terror looms, a series of shocking revelations and decisions unfold, driving the narrative to its gruesome peak.
Amid the chaos, Chatterer, one of the Cenobites, falls victim to the puzzle box’s deadly mechanism, becoming a sacrificial offering towards the box’s ominous “Configuration.”
Riley, in a chilling realization, recognizes that slaying the Cenobites qualifies as a sacrifice to advance the box’s sinister agenda.
With newfound understanding, Riley conceives a daring plan—intentionally permitting the Cenobites to enter the mansion to offer her ultimate sacrifice to the box. The stakes grow higher as she navigates this treacherous path.
However, just when it seems the narrative couldn’t get any more twisted, a shocking twist emerges.
Trevor, Riley’s devious boyfriend, is unveiled as a traitor working in cahoots with Voight. It turns out Voight bears a harrowing metal contraption within his chest, a stark symbol of his subjugation to the box and the Cenobites.
He enlisted Trevor to carry out his sinister agenda, revealing a web of betrayal.
Voight recounts his past, describing how he solved the puzzle box six years prior, selecting “Liminal,” which promised sensation.
Yet, what ensued was a nightmarish descent into body horror and torment. Voight cautions Riley that the Cenobite’s pledges are deceiving, a warning that resonates with chilling implications.
In a shocking act, Voight marks Colin as the next victim, summoning the Cenobites to fulfill their malevolent purpose. Desperation drives Voight to demand the undoing of his “gift,” and Pinhead offers a grim alternative—”Leviathan,” a gift of power.
As the Cenobites close in to claim Colin, Riley intervenes, offering the traitorous Trevor as a substitute. She strikes Trevor, securing Colin’s release from his Cenobite imprisonment.
In a moment of ghastly revelation, Pinhead unveils Riley’s reward for her final sacrifice—her resurrected brother. Yet, Riley refuses this macabre gift, understanding the deceitful nature of the Cenobite promises.
By rejecting the false hope offered by the Cenobites, Riley unwittingly selects “the Lament Configuration,” symbolizing life marred by eternal regret.
So, the ending scene of Hellraiser 2022 delivers a riveting blend of horror and psychological torment, challenging our characters with unimaginable choices and revealing the insidious nature of the Cenobites’ offers.
Hellraiser 2022 is streaming on Hulu.
Did you like 2022’s reboot of Hellraiser? How would you rate it compared to the original movie?
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