Hellbox (2021) User Reviews

Slow paced and rather boring...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 8 September 2021]

Sure, I will admit that I was drawn in to watching "Hellbox" given the movie's cover/poster. Yeah, I am a sucker for horror movies, and I did find this movie's cover to be interesting. And the title of the movie does have a nice ring to it.

Had I ever heard about writers Sheldon Inkol and David Scott's 2021 horror movie "Hellbox" prior to watching it? No. Not even a single word. But with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I had to watch it when I was given the chance.

And the concept here was interesting enough, however the execution from script to screen just wasn't all that interesting. Sure, "Hellbox" was watchable, but it was rather monotonous and somewhat bland. So it wasn't a particularly great horror experience. And for a seasoned horror veteran such as myself, then "Hellbox" just didn't have the contents to deliver a wholesome movie experience.

The various segments felt slow paced and repetitive, so there wasn't much thrills or excitement to be had as "Hellbox" trotted on and on. And the acting performances in the majority of the segments was dubious.

This 2021 horror movie is not a movie that I will recommend you waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us suffered through this so you don't have to.

My rating of "Hellbox" lands on a mere three out of ten stars.

A poor man's Hellraiser.

[slake_uk · 2/10 · 10 September 2021]

I'd heard nothing of this movie previously (now I know why!) but I was drawn to it by the premise and the cover art. Two minutes into the opening scene I was checking IMDB to see what score it had been given, and I wasn't surprised. It all looked and felt so fake. The costumes and props were unconvincing; the acting and script were equally poor giving the whole thing a real amateur feel as if it was a first project by students in a film school.

The premise is an evil box which is passed on through history, with a warning not to open it, while bad guys try to get possession of the box or get someone to open it. Sound familiar? Though this box looks more like a coal scuttle than anything with a sinister back story.

The acting didn't get much better passed the opening scene; it was as if the actors were waiting to deliver their lines rather than listening and being immersed in the scene. It all seemed very superficial. The pace was slow and the plot jumped around to the point of confusion in places.

There were lots of horror movie clichés. Waking up from a nightmare that also turns out to be a nightmare. Men in dodgy looking masks and gowns. People having the same dreams. Patients with mental health issues. Finding video camera footage. Poor and comic looking special effects that amused more than frightened. It even had the "shadowy looking guy across the road who disappears after a tram goes by" cliché.

The big reveal at the end didn't really reveal anything about the "shadowy conspiracy against humanity that stretches across five centuries" in the synopsis. Maybe it went over my head. Or maybe I'd just stopped paying too much attention by that point.

I did watch the whole movie and admit that I wasn't bored but maybe this one falls into the "so bad it's good" category. Afterwards I just kind of wished I'd watched Hellraiser again instead.

I'm A Person.

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 3/10 · 10 November 2021]

So at the beginning 3 Knights Templar face off against some Demonic thing posing as another knight. One manages to remain alive and take this magic BOX with him along until he opens it anyway. Very cheesey effects. Swords seen bending like paper. Obviously fake blood, etc.

Then, flash to present? Woman has vision of demonic troll witch thing while in bed with husband.

Oh I did like the cheesey effects on the next part with the face being pulled apart and the eyeball scene.

Then comes a huge portion of hte movie which seemed really boring. -1 Star But then whhen the husband slices up his wifes throat, that was hawt. +1 Star.

Later on, the demonthing boxmaster debates with the hubby and wife that have been traumatized since the 2nd part. Those scenes are boring and not interesting really. -1 Star

Then a run thru the woods with shouting and searching. And Eve has disappeared. And then, really thats the end? Okay the end was lame. -1 Star

Most people would likely find this movie boring and not very good. 3/10.

This...Was...Bad...

[jfost75 · 1/10 · 7 January 2022]

When you're a fan of the horror genre you come to expect a level of cheesy that is unique to that genre, however for me this movie had a plot that was just too much of a homemade Hellraiser ripoff to even consider it original.

In a nutshell, there's a box, no one knows what's in it nor do we ever get to see the contents. However it is safe to assume that the contents are somethings straight out of hell.

The movie begins with a few knights Templar escorting the box to some far reaches of the planet to hide it. Jump too modern day where some substitute teacher finds the box while cleaning out his dead brothers house...(half-brother) I can only assume that the protagonist had committed suicide after being involved in a scandal between him and a student, and everything thereafter was some scenario played out specifically for him in hell???

In the end, I felt dumber for having wasted the hour of my life watching it, so if you value your time at all, stay away!

Good story...

[mlhare · 5/10 · 28 December 2021]

If you can get passed the amatuer production and poor acting. It is slow but the acting makes it feel slower. Since it is indie film you cant expect oscar worthy.

Awful.

[imsoint · 1/10 · 14 December 2021]

Couldn't even watch the entire movie.

If there is a story here it's meandering aimlessly without a beat.

Flashbacks and uneventful scenes that are not driving the story forward leaves the viewer starved for progress.

And if there is a story they are crawling it forward just to fill up scene time.

Continuity errors. Tepid acting. Unremarkable editing.

Set design and wardrobe considerations are non existent. Probably budget constraints. A case of actors using their own clothing, homes and a crew members equipment.

The coloring of the film is bland. Not visually interesting. It's not a part of the intended atmosphere of the story.

This is essentially a talking heads movie with little in the way of "Hell" as the title suggests.

It's actually Hell to watch and Satan probably plays this movie ad nauseum to torture his damned souls.

Don't open this box indeed. In fact don't start this movie ever!

Yech. :P.

Not hellbox!

[austinwsumner · 3/10 · 5 January 2022]

Bad movie! Can't explain but Jesus Christ dude! I watched about few minutes and its already boring as f! So if ur trying to watch 2021 horror movies! There isn't one mostly and think this year will have the worst one for sure! So this movie is nothing but a huge failure! Bad acting and no actual storytelling! So do urselfs a favor! Avoid watching this garbage. I give this a 0! Just awful!

The worst

[mikelynchphotos · 1/10 · 2 January 2022]

Heed the reviews that describe the poor acting and worse production value. One would see better acting in the average YouTube video. This film is not only the worst film ever, but it is the worst thing to ever happen since the dawn of man.

Yikes

[sophiekirkili · 1/10 · 9 December 2021]

This is literally the worst movie I've ever seen. Lost two hours of my life. Yes I like thrillers, but there has to be a logical thing to connect the pieces together. In this movie there's nothing. Poor in every possible way.

Terrible

[micballiet · 1/10 · 22 December 2021]

Ugh. Terrible I only got thru about 20 mins. The Director needs more schooling. The writer needs better ideas. And to the effects Master ..... blood is not that red.

Not the worst

[ashnemoure · 8/10 · 23 December 2021]

Ok, so I've been a diehard horror fan since I came out of the womb! This movie was intriguing because of the concept and of you can get past the fact that it is low budget (it's an Indy so he'll-ooooo give it some credit) it's a decent watch.

I must say I hate when people write reviews complaining about "two hours of my life that I can't get back"... that's just a dumb thing to say. So I've decided to completely ignore the reviews that say that. Sorry, that was a little off topic here. As far as the film goes: it's not horrible, I've seen worse, and it is what it is.

The acting was good, the premise was good, and I liked it. I mean as a diehard I've sat thru waaaaay worse looking for that ONE. Looking for THAT scary movie which I have yet to see in 2021. So in conclusion: give it a chance.

Ambitious

[puhzuuzuu · 10/10 · 27 September 2021]

Okay so maybe it's not a masterpiece but I think it definitely deserves a 10 for effort!

I like many, I was a little thrown off by the stripped down look of it. It's an Independent movie to be sure. But if you stick around and bear through some sluggish scenes, I think you might be pleasantly surprised by it's visual effects.

Almost reminiscent of Army of Darkness, this film spans various time periods with one through-line...Demons!

I will admit the story lost me at parts due to it's constant change of perspective but all in all this was a pretty damn good film that kept me shocked and entertained all throughout. (Though some of that fun you make yourself) definitely worth a watch if your in the mood for a creative and ambitious indie film. You won't forget it!

Exactly what I hoped for!

[Sureds · 9/10 · 15 May 2021]

When I first saw the trailer of this wonderful independent film, I knew I had to track down a copy. The mysterious, apocalyptic, even cosmic horror feel to it got me captivated immediately. I was lucky to get my hands on a limited bluray release but I think the film will be released on a wider scale later on in 2021.

After seeing the film I can only conclude that I was not disapointed. It itches in just the right places and brings some great storytelling to the table. Which is where independent film can distinguish themselves when done right. Hellbox does just that and more. It obviously takes some inspiration from the Hellraiser saga and manages to bring that vibe brilliantly, whilst keeping it's own uniqueness completely. But even more I got a very Lovecraftian vibe from it. I was often reminded of The Call of Cthulhu with the apocalyptic threat slumbering in the background while the protagonists struggle with their personal demons and try to make sense of the strange occurrences that befall them. The flashback story seqences contribute to that. And I loved the intro sequence with the Knights Templar. It adds greatly to the epic feel of the story.

Ofcourse the movie has it's flaws here and there but overall it's a great independent film that knows exactly how to tell a good horror story. The special effects are minimal but look great and contribute to the 80's horror film feel that the first Hellraiser movies, for instance, brought. The movie seems to have been made back in 2008 and was called 'All That is Hidden' then, but now in 2021, finally gets it's well deserved release.