Hellraiser: Bloodline

Name: Hellraiser: Bloodline
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror
Released: March 8, 1996
Duration: 85 min
Rating: 21
Cast: Adam Scott, Bruce Ramsay, Charlotte Chatton, Courtland Mead, Doug Bradley

1996

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	Your Score
6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

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Hellraiser: Bloodline

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Movie Details & Credits

Miramax | Release Date: March 8, 1996 | R

Starring: Adam Scott, Bruce Ramsay, Charlotte Chatton, Courtland Mead, Doug Bradley, Kim Myers, Louis Mustillo, Louis Turenne, Mickey Cottrell, Valentina Vargas

Summary: The fourth entry in the Hellraiser series. In the 22nd century, a scientist attempts to right the wrong his ancestor created: the puzzle box that opens the gates of Hell and unleashes Pinhead and his Cenobite legions.

Director: Alan Smithee and Kevin Yagher

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 85 min

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Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle

For about half of its running time, Hellraiser: Bloodline is watchable. In fact -- let's throw around the superlatives -- it's mildly entertaining. [9 March 1996, p.B3]

Empire Kim Newman

At barely 70 minutes long, this still manages to stammer and stall between the meaningless atrocities. It's time this series met Abbott and Costello. Read full review

Kevin Thomas

A dialogue polishing by Barker, plus his own direction, might have made a crucial difference. What it got instead was a script inescapably convoluted by the need to justify a third sequel...Like the other sequels, Hellraiser: Bloodline goes in for elaborate special effects and decor, but the film is murky and morbid, laden with a heavy dose of grisly sadomasochism that's more repellent than intriguing. Read full review

John Hartl

The sexual sadism that ruled in the first Hellraiser has been largely replaced by tiresome confrontations between the toymakers and Pinhead, who responds to their sputtering oaths with the most sensible line in the movie: "Do I look like someone who would care what God thinks?" [9 March 1996, p.F3]

Staff (Not Credited)

Fourth installment of Hellraiser series proves to be so bad that the director of record is Alan Smithee, the name used under Directors Guild rules when the real helmer refuses credit. The director billed in early announcements was special effects whiz Kevin Yeager -- who retains credit in that category -- but who wisely realized the released film would not enhance his resume. Except for the most undiscriminating gorehound, pic is a pointless mess. Read full review

Stephen Holden

As cinematic Armageddons go, this one is a real bust...Although it succeeds in crudely outlining the fable of a magic toy box and the demonic secrets carried down in the bloodline of its inventor, it is otherwise incoherent and (except for Mr. Bradley's Pinhead) wretchedly acted. Farewell, Pinhead and company. You won't be missed. Read full review

Marc Savlov

This fourth and, presumably, final entry into the ever-deteriorating Hellraiser series is by far the worst of the lot: a jumbled, unsatisfying, and ultimately boring glimpse into the past, present, and future of the notorious cenobite affectionately known as “Pinhead”. Read full review

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User Reviews

Antoniopresley

May 10, 2020

I wish they didn't delete some of Kevin Yagher's scenes, but I still ended up loving this film.

The future part can be a bit of a mess, but the past and present parts were spectacular.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

robertoiglesias

Oct 14, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In Hellraiser: Bloodline, 3 stories (the past, present, and future) are told.
The past has an amazing origin story about the Cenobites: 3/3. But my problem is that it's too short. This part is only 16 minutes.
The present is also spectacular, with great characters and a nice story: 3/3. It's 37 minutes long, and it keeps me interested.
The future has boring characters, besides Paul Merchant, has a barebones story and bad effects: 1/3.
I really enjoyed Pinhead and this film, even if it has its problems.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

imthenoob

Oct 24, 2018

Oddly enough, I thought that despite being Hellraiser in space, It wasn't that bad of a movie. The cast did a solid enough job and there are plenty of quality kills throughout to warrant a watch. It's cheesy but in a good way.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

JPK

Dec 22, 2019

It’s A Mess
Though it has some okay scares and Pinhead, This film isn’t very interesting in the slightest.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

HellHoleHorror

Feb 15, 2022

You can see that they tried to do something a bit different but in doing something different they are not necessarily doing something good. This is not that good at all but is still better than Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992). It does lose charm and attitude for silly story progressionYou can see that they tried to do something a bit different but in doing something different they are not necessarily doing something good. This is not that good at all but is still better than Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992). It does lose charm and attitude for silly story progression and over-the-top time gaps. It is just 'Hellraiser in Space' but with a different title. Watchable if you liked the previous films but little other reason to watch this.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

bradens584

Dec 19, 2020

And the downward spiral continues. Hellraiser: Bloodline is the fourth film in the Hellraiser franchise, and it’s the worst one so far. There were some bits I liked, the entire film has a cool framing device of an interrogation. Doug Bradley’s back as Pinhead, and I liked seeing the originAnd the downward spiral continues. Hellraiser: Bloodline is the fourth film in the Hellraiser franchise, and it’s the worst one so far. There were some bits I liked, the entire film has a cool framing device of an interrogation. Doug Bradley’s back as Pinhead, and I liked seeing the origin of the puzzle box. Adam Scott was entertaining while he was onscreen, you can see he was a real pro, even back then. There was some really bad writing, but his delivery almost convinced you it was good. And now for the bad, the writing and acting are plain bad. I sort of liked the new villain, Angelique and her dynamic with Pinhead, but at a point Pinhead isn’t even the main villain, and I know that was the case in the first movie, but Frank and Julia were really interesting, and the rest of the movie was good. In that movie, Pinhead was used as a foreboding background character, and when he was put on screen you really felt his presence, and that’s not the case in Hellraiser: Bloodline. Doug Bradley’s great, but Pinhead’s just kind of thrown in randomly, and Angelique was just discarded to make way for the climax, whereas in the original, Frank and Pinhead are both incorporated into it. The cinematography is completely uninspired even compared to Hellraiser III, not to mention the first two. The three main characters are all the most bland things I’ve ever seen put on a screen. The special effects are all pretty boring when compared to its predecessors, nothing is shown that hasn’t been seen before in previous instalments, and, after the beginning, they don’t even get really intense until the end. The Cenobite designs are also lacklustre, there are only two new ones, and no returning ones other than Pinhead, one is just a boring design and the other is cool, but at a point, the effect gets too ambitious and ends up looking pretty bad. Hopefully the fifth one’s better.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

royalguy07

May 25, 2023

The writer had to of been super high when he wrote this, crazy that its the same one as 2 and 3. This was a little early in the series to go completely off the rails with the story. Hellraiser with wonky 90s era sci fi mixed with a period piece is a unsuccessful combo.

18th century FranceThe writer had to of been super high when he wrote this, crazy that its the same one as 2 and 3. This was a little early in the series to go completely off the rails with the story. Hellraiser with wonky 90s era sci fi mixed with a period piece is a unsuccessful combo.

18th century France scenes voiced all in English with no accents was a ?… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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