I know what your probably thinking already. But no, “judgment” is indeed spelled correctly. I know, I was thrown off by it as well. Just thought I’d address that so that it’s out of the way. Actually, that’s kind of a similar attitude Dimension Films had when it came to this franchise. Just make another sequel so they can be done with it and hold onto the franchise rights. It would explain why most of the straight to DVD sequels took pre-existing scripts and inserted Hellraiser characters into them. However, not only is this one of the few always meant to be a Hellraiser film, but this is actually pretty good for what it is.

This movie focuses on two brother who work as detectives. They are trying to capture an active serial killer known as The Preceptor. One of the brothers, Detective Sean Carter, finds himself face-to-face with the supernatural. But the beings he are first introduced to aren’t technically Cenobites. This is a movie that actually introduces new creatures & characters in the franchise that add to the world’s lore. Pinhead is still involved, don’t worry. And this time around, he’s played by Paul Taylor, who is much better than the actor from Hellraiser: Revelations. Some might argue that this actor might be underplaying it a bit in certain scenes. But this is an actor that still cares. He even picked up smoking to get the voice right and took late night walks in the dangerous neighborhoods in his hometown to control his fear. I don’t think either of those actions were necessary, but I’ll give credit for dedication.

And that’s what separates this film from the other straight to DVD sequels. The people making it did actually care. Gary Tunnicliffe worked on the make-up effects for the series ever since Hellraiser: Hell on Earth. While he did write for Revelations, I put the blame on the rushed production rather than him. Because he also wrote this film, in addition to directing it and even playing the Auditor character, a new supernatural being working with Pinhead. He actually does a great job as the character and I’m actually curious about what he might have done in a follow-up. The effects in this film are well done, they definitely help form a dark and gritty atmosphere. A feeling of dread based on blood and physical pain. There is a lot to appreciate in this film.

Having said that, there are still flaws. The acting from the human characters are decent, but nothing to really praise. And it’s easy to identify who the serial killer is in the movie. This is still a straight to DVD sequel so the budget can only help the effects so much. And while the addition of certain supernatural beings does add to the lore, there is one addition that does complicate things. The character’s inclusion does set-up interesting ideas and questions. But the movie doesn’t have the time or the ability to really take advantage of it. If a follow-up was given the green light, it would have been intriguing to see where the characters go from this point on. But finally, the series is being rebooted with a new approach which is ultimately for the best.

As someone who absolutely loves the original first 2 Hellraiser films, it was sad to see where further sequels took this series. On the other hand, some of the other sequels do have some cool things about them if your willing to adjust your expectations. And this is the film that is arguably the best of all the straight to DVD sequels. For me, it’s actually my third favorite Hellraiser movie overall. It’s one that is more focused on the Cenobites than the humans and has people who do love the series involved in it. If your feeling nostalgic for these kinds of sequels as the reboot approaches, this is the one that will satisfy you the most.