This is the story of the Lament Configuration, the puzzle box that opens the gate to hell, and the family that made it, tracing events from the 18th century when the first box was made and the demon Angelique appeared, through modern times, to the final confrontation in 2127.
Quick Review: A return to the mythology, if not the themes, of the first Hellraiser films, Bloodline brings back the eerie atmosphere that was once so effective. There are some interesting historical events, a new sensual cenobite, an engrossing plot, and great dialog, but it isn’t enough. The film doesn’t give us time to know and care about any of the humans. Also, the cenobites are not what they once were. In Hellraiser, they were: “Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others.” In Bloodline, they are just agents of the army of evil, only demons, never angels. The complexity is gone. The human is the good guy; the monsters are bad. That’s it. I can’t help feeling that this movie could have been so much more. But for what little it is, it’s not bad. Even the Pin Head in space section comes off much less silly than I would have assumed.
The other films in the series are: Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Hellraiser: Deader, Hellraiser: Hellworld.