Hellraiser (1987) Recap & Ending Explained [Spoiler]

Last updated on October 3rd, 2024 at 09:42 pm

Hellraiser (1987) is a supernatural & slasher horror film directed by Clive Barker. This is the first movie of the Hellraiser franchise released in 1987.

Hellraiser (1987) Ending Explanation

* * * Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t seen the movie yet, turn back now! * * *

The movie starts in an antique market in Morocco. Frank buys a puzzle box.

Later he goes back to his house, prepares a ritual attic, and solves the puzzle. Suddenly a dimensional-space door opens and many hooked chains emerge. In the following scene, we see Frank’s flesh and bones tear apart. The room is filled with swinging chains with his flesh and skins.

At that moment the Cenobites arrive at the place and reset the puzzle box. It makes the room as normal as before.

A few days later Frank’s brother Larry moves into the house with his second wife Julia. Larry has a teenage daughter named Kristy who rents a room in the next suburb and chooses not to live with them because of her step-mother Julia.

Julia and Frank got into an unethical relationship between them. But Larry was unaware of their affair.

It is the day Larry and Julia finally shift into the house. Larry injures his hands and incidentally drops his blood on the attic floor where Frank performed the ritual.

The drops of blood make Frank resurrected as a skinless corpse and soon found by Julia. Frank tells Julia that he needs the human body to regenerate his actual form. Therefore, Julia starts bringing men to the house and Frank drains their life.

Then Frank explains to Julia about the puzzle box that the box opens a portal. Frank opened it and summoned the Cenobites for new sensual pleasure. As expected, the Cenobites came to him and gave him extreme pain.

Kristy observes Julia get a man inside the house. Kristy follows her to the attic and discovers Frank’s identity. Then Frank attacks Kristy but she manages to escape with the puzzle box. She collapsed after a while.

Kristy finds herself in a hospital bed with the box. Later at night, she solves the puzzle, and the Cenobites emerge at the place.

Here pinhead, the lead Cenobite delivers his legendary quote.

Explorers, in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.

The Cenobites attempt to force Kristy to return to their dimensional space. Then she informs that Frank has escaped from their space.

Kristy wants to agree she will take them to Frank and in exchange, they must let her go.

The Cenobites agree and also tell her.

But if you cheat us… We’ll tear your soul apart!

Kristy returns home and finds out that Frank killed Larry and took his skin. Now, none can identify Larry that he is actually Frank.

Accidentally Frank stubs Julia with a knife then he also starts to take her soul and says,

Nothing personal babe.

Then Frank tells Kristy everything about the puzzle box and his escape. Then the Cenobites arrived at the place, hooked Frank with chains, and destroyed his body again.

Then Cenobites tries catching Kristy, but she quickly solves the puzzle and manages to reset. It throws the Cenobites to their realm and closes the door.

Then Kristy and her boyfriend set fire to the puzzle box. Suddenly a homeless person arrives at the place (who is seen stalking Kristy before) and takes the puzzle from the fire. Next, he transforms into a demonic bird and flies away.

In the ending scene of the movie, we see the same Asian merchant at the same place who sells the box to Frank. He is now selling the same box to another person, asking “what’s your pleasure, sir?”