How to Watch the Hellraiser Movies in Order

Chronologically, the first movie actually is the first in the franchise. In the film, a young girl named Kirsty discovers that her mother has been having an affair with her father’s brother…who has recently vanished. But after an accident, his body begins to resurrect itself in their attic thanks to a mysterious puzzle box. Unfortunately, the puzzle box also calls upon a race of eternal undead beings who have no comprehension between pleasure and pain, the Cenobites. 

Kirsty returns for the sequel and, now in a mental hospital after the events of the first film, believes she’s being visited by her dead father in her dreams. He tells her that he’s trapped in Hell and needs help. Kirsty’s mom also enters Hell, but for much more nefarious reasons.

Taking place in New York City, the lead Cenobite Pinhead is now more evil than ever after the events of the second film (he’s now pure “id”). Even worse, Pinhead finds himself being resurrected in the luxury apartment of a pleasure-obsessed young man…giving Pinhead all the fuel he needs to gain his strength and bring “good suffering” to the Big Apple. 

Though it was the fourth film released (and the final movie to be released in theaters), Bloodline is actually the last chronologically because it takes place in the year 2127 in outer space. In the movie, Pinhead is summoned aboard a space station and meets his ultimate demise.

Inferno was the first Hellraiser film to be a straight-to-video release (as would every sequel that followed) and follows a corrupt police officer who stumbles upon the puzzle box (known by fans as the Lament Configuration) and soon he starts having horrific visions. No spoilers here, but the finale gives viewers a shocking twist. 

For the first time since Hellbound, Kirsty appears in the franchise once again. In the movie, Kirsty is believed to be dead after her boyfriend crashes their car. But then her boyfriend begins experiencing strange phenomena and there’s a shocking twist ending…but heads up, that “twist” is the exact same as Inferno. 

In Deader, a journalist is sent to investigate a mysterious cult known as the Deadites who claim they can kill and resurrect their followers. As you can probably assume, they’re doing this with the help of the puzzle box…and with enough meddling, Pinhead arrives to collect what’s his. 

Similar to movies like Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Hellworld went super meta, taking place outside the chronological order. In the movie, a group of friends play a video game inspired by the Hellraiser franchise…leading to one of them committing suicide. To get revenge, his father decides to kill them, but ends up meeting the real Pinhead himself.

Revelations focuses on two friends who go on a debaucherous vacation in Mexico, ultimately finding the puzzle box and getting themselves killed. A year later their families find the puzzle box and the madness begins again. But heads up, this film is bad…like, really bad. Hellraiser’s creator Clive Barker even tweeted upon its release, “I have NOTHING to do with the fuckin' thing. If they claim it’s from the mind of Clive Barker, it's a lie. It's not even from my butt-hole.”

In Judgement, Pinhead is in discussions with other rulers of Hell on how best to keep the portal between the mortal world and theirs open. During the debate, there’s a serial killer running loose on Earth. Also, Heaven and God get involved. Basically, this becomes a heavily religious movie that has a completely new vibe.