Films › Clive Barker

Hellraiser (1987)

Film

DirectorClive Barker

Meta takes6

Figures

Characters

Kirsty Cotton's role as protagonist → The Final Girl

Objects & symbols

The recurring motif of hooks in flesh

Locations

The house on Lodovico Street → The Uncanny

Form & technique

The Cenobites' aesthetic and philosophy
The Cenobites' BDSM aesthetic
The film's narrative structure

Tropes

Julia Cotton's transformation and agency → The Monstrous-Feminine
Frank Cotton's regenerating body → The Abject
The Lament Configuration puzzle box → The Counter-Space
The off-screen sounds of the Cenobite dimension → The Unseen Voice
The gaze upon Frank's torn body in the opening
The film's exploration of forbidden pleasure

Films most connected to Hellraiser

Hereditary (2018) — via The Unseen Voice, The Final Girl, The Uncanny
It (2017) — via The Unseen Voice, The Final Girl, The Uncanny
Us (2019) — via The Uncanny, The Monstrous-Feminine
M3GAN (2022) — via The Uncanny, The Monstrous-Feminine
The Menu (2022) — via The Abject, The Final Girl
Halloween (1978) — via The Abject, The Final Girl
The Fly (1986) — via The Abject, The Monstrous-Feminine
Train to Busan (2016) — via The Unseen Voice, The Counter-Space