Hellraiser
Movie, 1987, The original series, Set in The Cotton house
Hellraiser is #1 of 11 in release order and #1 of 11 in chronological order in the Hellraiser.
The story
A hedonistic man finds a mysterious puzzle box that summons a group of gruesome beings known as the Cenobites. These otherworldly entities open the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible.
Hellraiser recap
Hellraiser (1987) follows a woman who kills men to rebuild her lover, a man torn apart by the demons he summoned with a puzzle box. Clive Barker writes and directs from his novella The Hellbound Heart. In Morocco, the hedonist Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) buys the box, solves it in an empty attic, and is ripped apart by hooked chains. His brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) later moves into the house with his second wife Julia (Clare Higgins), who once had an affair with Frank. When Larry cuts his hand, his blood soaks the attic floor and brings Frank back as a skinless wreck. Julia lures men home so Frank can drain them and regrow his body. Larry's daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) finds Frank, escapes with the box and opens it in hospital, meeting the Cenobites and their leader, later known as Pinhead (Doug Bradley). She bargains to give them Frank. It starts the series.
Hellraiser ending explained
Hellraiser ends with Frank killing Larry and wearing his skin, then accidentally stabbing Julia and draining her. When he admits killing Larry, the Cenobites tear him apart, then turn on Kirsty, who reverses the puzzle to send them back. She throws the box on a fire, but a vagrant who has followed her pulls it out, turns into a winged creature and flies off; the box ends up for sale again.
Post-credits scenes
No. Hellraiser has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Hellraiser
Hellraiser is streaming on Prime Video, fuboTV, The CW, Plex, Tubi, and Amazon MX Player in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 72%
Where it fits
- Release order: first, before Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
- Chronological order: first, before Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
What to watch before Hellraiser
Nothing. Hellraiser is the first of the Hellraiser essentials, so it's the place to start.
Cast
- Andrew Robinson as Larry
- Clare Higgins as Julia
- Ashley Laurence as Kirsty
- Oliver Smith as Frank the Monster
- Sean Chapman as Frank
- Robert Hines as Steve
- Doug Bradley as Lead Cenobite
- Nicholas Vince as Chattering Cenobite
- Simon Bamford as 'Butterball' Cenobite
- Grace Kirby as Female Cenobite
- Anthony Allen as 1st Victim
- Leon Davis as 2nd Victim
Directed by Clive Barker.