# Hellbound: Hellraiser II

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Entity type: review
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Content type: movies
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## Description

Some sequels arrive determined to establish themselves as the next big chapter, introducing new characters and generally pretending their predecessor has already done its job. Hellbound: Hellraiser II takes a rather more sensible approach. It picks up the pieces left behind by Clive Barker's 1987 original, which, considering what happened to the Cotton family, is quite an undertaking. We've always regarded these first two films as complementary halves of the same story. You can certainly watch Hellbound independently, and there's enough here to understand what's happening, but the experience is considerably better when you've already spent some time with Kirsty, Julia, Frank and their rather unhealthy relationship with a particular puzzle box. Watching both films together makes for an excellent double feature, although perhaps not one to accompany a large takeaway. Tony Randel's sequel follows Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence), now confined to a psychiatric hospital following the events of the first film. Unfortunately, Dr Philip Channard (Kenneth Cranham), the man responsible for her care, has an interest in the Lament Configuration that extends considerably beyond professional curiosity. Before long, Julia (Clare Higgins) is back in the picture, and we're heading towards another encounter with the Cenobites. One of the things we appreciate about Hellbound is its commitment to continuing the existing story. The atmosphere, characters and general unpleasantness remain recognisable, with the consequences of the original film driving much of what happens here. There's no need to manufacture a completely different threat when the first film established a world with so much unexplored territory. Having said that, by the time Hellbound reaches its conclusion, we're quite comfortable leaving the Cotton family behind. Kirsty has been an important character, and her involvement provides the audience with a way into Barker's peculiar mythology. Ashley Laurence remains an effective presence throughout, but there comes a point when the people pursuing our protagonists become rather more interesting than the protagonists themselves. For us, that's always been part of the attraction of Hellraiser. The Cenobites, their origins and the strange order governing their existence offer considerably more possibilities than simply following another unfortunate person who happens to open the wrong box. Bradley's Pinhead remains one of the franchise's greatest assets. His appearance is immediately recognisable, but there's something about the character's composure that makes him particularly effective. While everyone else is panicking, running around or being pulled apart, Pinhead conducts himself with the quiet authority of someone who knows exactly how this particular nightmare is going to end. Bradley never needs to make the character especially animated to establish his presence. It's difficult to imagine these early films without him, and Hellbound gives us another welcome opportunity to spend time with the original incarnation of the character. More interestingly, it begins exploring the Cenobites as part of a much larger supernatural hierarchy, rather than leaving them as mysterious visitors who occasionally appear to make somebody's day considerably worse. That expansion of the mythology is probably our favourite aspect of the film. The first Hellraiser offers glimpses of what exists beyond the Lament Configuration. Hellbound takes us through the doorway and introduces the labyrinth, an enormous, seemingly endless arrangement of corridors and chambers presided over by Leviathan. This strange geometric entity sits at the centre of a realm that feels governed by its own disturbing rules. There's something wonderfully unsettling about finally seeing where the Cenobites come from. It gives their existence greater context without requiring every aspect of their world to be explained. Leviathan itself raises plenty of questions, particularly concerning its relationship with the Cenobites and the amount of control it e

## Identifier

tt0095294

## Image

https://planetofthecapes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/auPOq1wgZuYSaADejOskBKG6fuV.jpg.webp

## Rating

61

## Relationship

http://www.20thcenturystudios.com

## Release Date

1988-12-23

## Short Description

After surviving the Cotton family nightmare, Kirsty finds herself in a psychiatric hospital run by Dr Channard, whose interest in the Lament Configuration goes well beyond professional curiosity. With Julia returning and the Cenobites waiting, the doors to Leviathan's labyrinth are about to open.

## Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdiWUPOYL-k