The Best ’80s Horror Movie Is A Secret Vampire Story, Stream Without Netflix Now

Released in 1987, Hellraiser was written and directed by Clive Barker, who had adapted his novella, The Hellbound Heart. It made $14.6 million at the box office on a budget of only $1 million and became a hit with horror fans, though it faced heavy censorship and a ban in Ontario. The movie was so successful it spawned nine sequels and a reboot. 

Hellraiser begins with the hedonist Frank Cotton using a puzzle box to summon Cenobites, a group of sadomasochistic extradimensional beings who torture him to death and take his soul to their dimension. When Frank’s brother Larry cuts himself in the attic where Frank died, it resurrects him as a skinless monster. Larry’s wife Julia is seduced into luring victims to Frank, who, now a vampire, needs the blood to restore himself. 

While the movie’s heroine, Kirstie, solves the puzzle box and is tormented by Cenobites for it, Frank is the clear antagonist. In his new vampire form, Frank requires the blood of multiple victims, becoming increasingly human in appearance as he feeds on the men Julia seduces and brings to him. He also attempts to seduce and murder Kirstie, making a much more explicit villain than the more mysterious Cenobites. 

Frank’s need to feed on blood is the most obvious way Hellraiser is a vampire story, but his entire character resembles Dracula. His origin, making a deal with demonic beings, is a common origin for the character and similar to the implied origin in Bram Stroker’s novel. The fact that he was resurrected from death by human blood also fits within the mythology. 

Hellraiser’s setting is also reminiscent of classic vampiric folklore. Taking place in a grand but dilapidated family home is similar to the decrepit mansions and castles common in vampire stories. The fact that Frank is confined to the attic of that home by his appearance takes the place of hiding in a crypt to avoid sunlight. 

Thematically, Hellraiser explores ideas that frequently appear in vampire stories. Hedonism, sexual taboos, and corruption are all central themes of the movie that can be found in everything from Interview With the Vampire to Camilla. Solving the puzzle box also connects to the idea of forbidden knowledge, which is often a central piece of Dracula’s mythology. 

The seductive element of Frank’s character is another central connection to vampire lore, with Julia being Hellraiser’s version of Dracula’s bride. While Frank doesn’t directly turn Julia into a monster, he does lead her to behave monstrously, helping him murder multiple men, including her husband. The sequel would double down on this by making her a central antagonist after her own resurrection. 

Hellraiser has more than earned its place in the pantheon of great horror movies, but it’s also largely misunderstood by those who haven’t seen it as a movie about Pinhead as a supernatural slasher. The movie is much more at home within the vampire genre than the broader oeuvre of 80s horror. Fans of horror, particularly fans of vampire stories, should watch Hellraiser, which is available to stream for free on Hoopla, Tubi, and Pluto.