The modern, unabashedly queer reboot of Hellraiser is now available to stream on Hulu, and it’s dying to get viewers hooked.
Directed by David Bruckner (The Ritual, The Night House), the film follows a young woman named Riley (Odessa A’zion), a struggling addict who comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box. However, she is unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic ghoulish demons from another dimension, led by The Priest, better known as Pinhead. Trans actress Jamie Clayton plays the iconic horror villain, which was popularized by Doug Bradley in eight of the ten previous Hellraiser films.
The franchise, which began with the 1987 original written and directed by Clive Barker, was inspired by his time working as a rent boy and visiting London leather bars during his youth. It was also an outlet for his anxieties about the cost of coming out, which he channeled into the novella Hellbound Heart, upon which the film is based.
This version completely ignores the original and its nine follow-up films and expands on the mythology given to us by the original story.
Clayton took some time to chat with Instinct about playing Pinhead and how she made the role her own, while Bruckner discussed his overall vision for the film and why Clayton was the perfect choice to portray the lead Cenobite.
Check out the exclusive interview below.
Jamie Clayton (Pinhead/The Priest) & David Bruckner (Director)…
