1992·Horror·1h 33m
6.5
★
Pinhead is set loose on the sinful streets of New York City to create chaos with a fresh cadre of Cenobitic kin.
Directed by Anthony Hickox
based on novel or book
nightclub
game of dice
sculpture
pinhead
sequel
cenobyten
reporter
puzzle box
evil
cenobite
Rank
#57 in 1992·#5108 overall
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Terry Farrell
Joey Summerskill
Doug Bradley
Pinhead / Elliot
Kevin Bernhardt
J.P. Monroe
Ken Carpenter
Doc / Camerahead
Paula Marshall
Terri
Ashley Laurence
Kirsty Cotton
Sharon Ceccatti
Blond Nurse
Clayton Hill
The Priest
Aimée Leigh
Sandy
Anthony Hickox
Soldier 2
James D.R. Hickox
Yuppie 2
Lawrence Mortorff
Bum
Crew
Anthony Hickox
Director
Peter Atkins
Screenplay
James D.R. Hickox
Editor
Clive Barker
Executive Producer
Lawrence Mortorff
Producer
Christopher Figg
Co-Producer
Mark Coulier
Makeup Artist
Doug Bradley
Makeup Artist
Clive Barker
Characters
Peter Atkins
Story
Tony Randel
Story
Geno Havens
Casting
Popular Reviews
401 reviews
Tim LangfordPRO
5.3★ · 03/09/26
Hellraiser? I hardly know ‘er!
For me, this is a solid “not bad!” By the same token, one man’s “not bad!” is another man’s “not good!” Hellraiser 3 is enjoyable enough while you’re watching it, but if it shut off in the middle for whatever reason, like if the power went out, you’d just shrug and go, “I accept this fate.”
It has a decent look and is decently shot with very dynamic camerawork. The edit, though, is incredibly amateur, and the acting and dialogue are garbage with some faint charm. It helps massively that the protagonist is absurdly gorgeous. There’s the occasional campy flair here and there.
It famously dilutes the fantastical, quasi-literary identity of the franchise with some familiar slasher tones and structures, but that doesn’t entirely remove the special sadomasochistic edge. Those slasher vibes moderate the bleak hellishness to make it much more palatable for a sneak-watch at a tween sleepover circa 2003.
One scene set in a church did strike me with an unsettling level of blasphemy. Felt the urge to look away. However, outside of that, it’s a lot of goofy slasher kills with flying chains and CDs in cool settings powered by a cheap, clumsy plot, especially in the third act. Just nonsense.
Doug Bradley (Pinhead) is really hit-or-miss for me in this franchise. He’s no Art the Clown (drink if you guessed I’d bring up Terrifier somehow). Honestly, I’d say he mostly doesn’t work, but the visual look is strong enough to carry and a line of dialogue will occasionally go really fucking hard. Sometimes his voice is otherworldly like Darth Vader, and other times it feels so much smaller and more pedestrian than his visual presence would suggest, like what Darth Vader’s voice sounded like originally, pre-James Earl Jones. IYKYK. Plus the whole damn movie is ADR-freaking-city.
The franchise already had a “rules” problem going into this film, but this one pretty openly admits that many of its scenes are made for the trailer, aiming to get as much money on the opening weekend as possible without much concern for an enduring narrative. And yet the franchise endured for eight more films on account of the aforementioned specialties. It’s a truly one-of-one franchise with a clear mission.
When Pinhead said, “We have such sights to show you,” he was talking about people smoking cigarettes in movies. What a glorious forbidden pleasure.
For me, this is a solid “not bad!” By the same token, one man’s “not bad!” is another man’s “not good!” Hellraiser 3 is enjoyable enough while you’re watching it, but if it shut off in the middle for whatever reason, like if the power went out, you’d just shrug and go, “I accept this fate.”
It has a decent look and is decently shot with very dynamic camerawork. The edit, though, is incredibly amateur, and the acting and dialogue are garbage with some faint charm. It helps massively that the protagonist is absurdly gorgeous. There’s the occasional campy flair here and there.
It famously dilutes the fantastical, quasi-literary identity of the franchise with some familiar slasher tones and structures, but that doesn’t entirely remove the special sadomasochistic edge. Those slasher vibes moderate the bleak hellishness to make it much more palatable for a sneak-watch at a tween sleepover circa 2003.
One scene set in a church did strike me with an unsettling level of blasphemy. Felt the urge to look away. However, outside of that, it’s a lot of goofy slasher kills with flying chains and CDs in cool settings powered by a cheap, clumsy plot, especially in the third act. Just nonsense.
Doug Bradley (Pinhead) is really hit-or-miss for me in this franchise. He’s no Art the Clown (drink if you guessed I’d bring up Terrifier somehow). Honestly, I’d say he mostly doesn’t work, but the visual look is strong enough to carry and a line of dialogue will occasionally go really fucking hard. Sometimes his voice is otherworldly like Darth Vader, and other times it feels so much smaller and more pedestrian than his visual presence would suggest, like what Darth Vader’s voice sounded like originally, pre-James Earl Jones. IYKYK. Plus the whole damn movie is ADR-freaking-city.
The franchise already had a “rules” problem going into this film, but this one pretty openly admits that many of its scenes are made for the trailer, aiming to get as much money on the opening weekend as possible without much concern for an enduring narrative. And yet the franchise endured for eight more films on account of the aforementioned specialties. It’s a truly one-of-one franchise with a clear mission.
When Pinhead said, “We have such sights to show you,” he was talking about people smoking cigarettes in movies. What a glorious forbidden pleasure.
Hellraiser? I hardly know ‘er!
For me, this is a solid “not bad!” By the same token, one man’s “not bad!” is another man’s “not good!” Hellraiser 3 is enjoyable enough while you’re watching it, but if it shut off in the middle for whatever reason, like if the power went out, you’d just shrug and go, “I accept this fate.”
It has a decent look and is decently shot with very dynamic camerawork. The edit, though, is incredibly amateur, and the acting and dialogue are garbage with some faint charm. It helps massively that the protagonist is absurdly gorgeous. There’s the occasional campy flair here and there.
It famously dilutes the fantastical, quasi-literary identity of the franchise with some familiar slasher tones and structures, but that doesn’t entirely remove the special sadomasochistic edge. Those slasher vibes moderate the bleak hellishness to make it much more palatable for a sneak-watch at a tween sleepover circa 2003.
One scene set in a church did strike me with an unsettling level of blasphemy. Felt the urge to look away. However, outside of that, it’s a lot of goofy slasher kills with flying chains and CDs in cool settings powered by a cheap, clumsy plot, especially in the third act. Just nonsense.
Doug Bradley (Pinhead) is really hit-or-miss for me in this franchise. He’s no Art the Clown (drink if you guessed I’d bring up Terrifier somehow). Honestly, I’d say he mostly doesn’t work, but the visual look is strong enough to carry and a line of dialogue will occasionally go really fucking hard. Sometimes his voice is otherworldly like Darth Vader, and other times it feels so much smaller and more pedestrian than his visual presence would suggest, like what Darth Vader’s voice sounded like originally, pre-James Earl Jones. IYKYK. Plus the whole damn movie is ADR-freaking-city.
The franchise already had a “rules” problem going into this film, but this one pretty openly admits that many of its scenes are made for the trailer, aiming to get as much money on the opening weekend as possible without much concern for an enduring narrative. And yet the franchise endured for eight more films on account of the aforementioned specialties. It’s a truly one-of-one franchise with a clear mission.
When Pinhead said, “We have such sights to show you,” he was talking about people smoking cigarettes in movies. What a glorious forbidden pleasure.
For me, this is a solid “not bad!” By the same token, one man’s “not bad!” is another man’s “not good!” Hellraiser 3 is enjoyable enough while you’re watching it, but if it shut off in the middle for whatever reason, like if the power went out, you’d just shrug and go, “I accept this fate.”
It has a decent look and is decently shot with very dynamic camerawork. The edit, though, is incredibly amateur, and the acting and dialogue are garbage with some faint charm. It helps massively that the protagonist is absurdly gorgeous. There’s the occasional campy flair here and there.
It famously dilutes the fantastical, quasi-literary identity of the franchise with some familiar slasher tones and structures, but that doesn’t entirely remove the special sadomasochistic edge. Those slasher vibes moderate the bleak hellishness to make it much more palatable for a sneak-watch at a tween sleepover circa 2003.
One scene set in a church did strike me with an unsettling level of blasphemy. Felt the urge to look away. However, outside of that, it’s a lot of goofy slasher kills with flying chains and CDs in cool settings powered by a cheap, clumsy plot, especially in the third act. Just nonsense.
Doug Bradley (Pinhead) is really hit-or-miss for me in this franchise. He’s no Art the Clown (drink if you guessed I’d bring up Terrifier somehow). Honestly, I’d say he mostly doesn’t work, but the visual look is strong enough to carry and a line of dialogue will occasionally go really fucking hard. Sometimes his voice is otherworldly like Darth Vader, and other times it feels so much smaller and more pedestrian than his visual presence would suggest, like what Darth Vader’s voice sounded like originally, pre-James Earl Jones. IYKYK. Plus the whole damn movie is ADR-freaking-city.
The franchise already had a “rules” problem going into this film, but this one pretty openly admits that many of its scenes are made for the trailer, aiming to get as much money on the opening weekend as possible without much concern for an enduring narrative. And yet the franchise endured for eight more films on account of the aforementioned specialties. It’s a truly one-of-one franchise with a clear mission.
When Pinhead said, “We have such sights to show you,” he was talking about people smoking cigarettes in movies. What a glorious forbidden pleasure.
2
Adrian LopezPRO
3.3★ · 02/16/26
This did give some more backstory to pinhead, how and where he first found the box. They used this weird piller where he was supposed to be trapped in, and where he supposed to feed from. It just sucked. There was one scene at the end which I did kind of like. CD player head and old Camcorder eye had me rollin’
This did give some more backstory to pinhead, how and where he first found the box. They used this weird piller where he was supposed to be trapped in, and where he supposed to feed from. It just sucked. There was one scene at the end which I did kind of like. CD player head and old Camcorder eye had me rollin’
2
Gabby
6.7★ · 03/23/26
one of my comfort movies. I love when the boys are back in town
one of my comfort movies. I love when the boys are back in town
1
Jc Du Plessis
7.0★ · 07/07/26
Hellraiser 3 hell on earth is simultaneously fun as hell but is a clear step down from two classics. I haven't explored much of the Hellraiser movies. My first one was revelations which yeah, then it was judgement also well yeah. That was when I watched the first 2 and I love them. The remake is pretty good in my opinion too. Now I'm going to open the box to see what the other movies bring.
Hell on earth has some problems for me. Joey wasn't a bad final girl and had her moments but I liked Terri a lot more and found her more intresting. She had that vulnerability that I love in kirsty (one of my favorite final girls). She also felt like facing the cenobites would have benefited her character more than Joey.
I also didn't like the look of the new cenobites. I get what they were going for but it loses the Gothic elegance of the originals.
What I love though is pinhead. He brings hell on earth with some very cool scenes and entertaining dialogue. The church scene and nightclub scene alone were just awesome. Doug Brady may lose some nuance of the first 2 movies but he was just cool here.
The story was entertaining too. Pinhead getting ready to raise hell as Joey tries to solve the mystery of what's going on. I like the escalation and the climax in the dream realm was entertaining. It was also interesting to see Eliot Spencer before the leviathan got him.
So hell on earth certainly brings the fun and some great scenes. The character of Terri had me engaged and it's a pity she's not the final girl. Joey is still cool though and Pinhead makes the movie. I had a fun time with hell on earth but let's hope I don't fall into the inferno with the rest.
Hell on earth has some problems for me. Joey wasn't a bad final girl and had her moments but I liked Terri a lot more and found her more intresting. She had that vulnerability that I love in kirsty (one of my favorite final girls). She also felt like facing the cenobites would have benefited her character more than Joey.
I also didn't like the look of the new cenobites. I get what they were going for but it loses the Gothic elegance of the originals.
What I love though is pinhead. He brings hell on earth with some very cool scenes and entertaining dialogue. The church scene and nightclub scene alone were just awesome. Doug Brady may lose some nuance of the first 2 movies but he was just cool here.
The story was entertaining too. Pinhead getting ready to raise hell as Joey tries to solve the mystery of what's going on. I like the escalation and the climax in the dream realm was entertaining. It was also interesting to see Eliot Spencer before the leviathan got him.
So hell on earth certainly brings the fun and some great scenes. The character of Terri had me engaged and it's a pity she's not the final girl. Joey is still cool though and Pinhead makes the movie. I had a fun time with hell on earth but let's hope I don't fall into the inferno with the rest.
Hellraiser 3 hell on earth is simultaneously fun as hell but is a clear step down from two classics. I haven't explored much of the Hellraiser movies. My first one was revelations which yeah, then it was judgement also well yeah. That was when I watched the first 2 and I love them. The remake is pretty good in my opinion too. Now I'm going to open the box to see what the other movies bring.
Hell on earth has some problems for me. Joey wasn't a bad final girl and had her moments but I liked Terri a lot more and found her more intresting. She had that vulnerability that I love in kirsty (one of my favorite final girls). She also felt like facing the cenobites would have benefited her character more than Joey.
I also didn't like the look of the new cenobites. I get what they were going for but it loses the Gothic elegance of the originals.
What I love though is pinhead. He brings hell on earth with some very cool scenes and entertaining dialogue. The church scene and nightclub scene alone were just awesome. Doug Brady may lose some nuance of the first 2 movies but he was just cool here.
The story was entertaining too. Pinhead getting ready to raise hell as Joey tries to solve the mystery of what's going on. I like the escalation and the climax in the dream realm was entertaining. It was also interesting to see Eliot Spencer before the leviathan got him.
So hell on earth certainly brings the fun and some great scenes. The character of Terri had me engaged and it's a pity she's not the final girl. Joey is still cool though and Pinhead makes the movie. I had a fun time with hell on earth but let's hope I don't fall into the inferno with the rest.
Hell on earth has some problems for me. Joey wasn't a bad final girl and had her moments but I liked Terri a lot more and found her more intresting. She had that vulnerability that I love in kirsty (one of my favorite final girls). She also felt like facing the cenobites would have benefited her character more than Joey.
I also didn't like the look of the new cenobites. I get what they were going for but it loses the Gothic elegance of the originals.
What I love though is pinhead. He brings hell on earth with some very cool scenes and entertaining dialogue. The church scene and nightclub scene alone were just awesome. Doug Brady may lose some nuance of the first 2 movies but he was just cool here.
The story was entertaining too. Pinhead getting ready to raise hell as Joey tries to solve the mystery of what's going on. I like the escalation and the climax in the dream realm was entertaining. It was also interesting to see Eliot Spencer before the leviathan got him.
So hell on earth certainly brings the fun and some great scenes. The character of Terri had me engaged and it's a pity she's not the final girl. Joey is still cool though and Pinhead makes the movie. I had a fun time with hell on earth but let's hope I don't fall into the inferno with the rest.
Ber
7.0★ · 06/14/26
I’m sure Pinhead Is into BDSM
I’m sure Pinhead Is into BDSM