Karloff LunarVein

I hate that it's being marketed as "a direct adaptation from the novella", "a return to The Hellbound Heart". It could not be farther from it. Whoever says that, has not come within a mile of Barker's masterpiece. Practically nothing from the source material is used in this adaptation and what little is, is second-guessed beyond recognition by the writers, who go out of their way to explain and expand their imagined "rules" for the use of Lemarchand's Box and the supernatural workings at large. The cenobites look more Silent Hill than Hellraiser but their mixture of sensual and terrifying fleshly distortion fits well with the story. Almost all of them are female or androgynous, which feels forced by current political agendas, IMO. Likewise, there's the mandatory gay couple and the asian or otherwise non-white sidekicks. The main protagonist, a young female recovering addict is clearly inspired by Mia from Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead remake. As a sequel, it brings a slicker production and an updated look to the Hellraiser universe, but it is certainly not a reboot. Watch it, but keep expectations on a tight leash.