Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) Movie Review

Steven Craven and Nico Bradley head off on a road trip to Tijuana, but things take a strange turn on their tequila fueled getaway. A mysterious vagrant approaches them in a bar, giving them the infamous puzzle box and promising experiences beyond their wildest imaginations. Nico soon solves the box, but instead of breathtaking pleasure, he only encounters Pinhead; soon the duo vanishes with no evidence left behind but a blood splattered motel room, the box, and a video camera that affords the viewer a rare chance to see a Cenobite without a soul rending experience.

A year later, the Cravens and Bradleys gather for a memorial dinner, still trying to deal with the sudden loss of their sons and gain some closure in their shattered lives. Steven suddenly staggers into the party, traumatized and covered in someone else’s blood. While his arrival brings joy to the Cravens and a ray of hope for the Bradleys, the reality is not going to have a happy ending. The families soon find themselves trapped in their home, with a visitor who isn’t who he claims to be — and wishes to use them in a hellish bargain to save himself.

 

The improbable success of the film is largely thanks to special effects artist turned writer Gary Tunnicliffe and director Victor Garcia. The script could have easily transformed Gary Tunnicliffe, f/x wizard into Gary Tunnicliffe what the fuck were you thinking? But instead of a hackneyed effort, we’re given a competently written tale with a few twisty surprises to spice the proceedings up. Unlike previous sequels, which began as original scripts only to be shoehorned into the mythos, “Revelations” is written precisely to be a “Hellraiser” sequel that never strays from the established parameters of the earlier films. Victor Garcia, foster parent of “Mirrors 2″, briskly moves things along to their despairing conclusion. The film may run a brief 75 minutes, but it’s devoid of anything extraneous and has no problems quickly cutting to the bloody heart of the matter.