An unfortunate reality is that there are an alarming number of people who don’t realize just how gay “Hellraiser” films are, and have always been. These are definitely the same people who couldn’t believe Rob Halford of Judas Priest fame was gay, despite the fact he looks like he shops exclusive at Cenobites-R-Us. Regardless, Bruckner wanted to include the franchise’s queerness in a bold way, by including a canonically gay relationship of non-Cenobite characters.
I was fortunate enough to talk with both Flynn and Faison about their roles in the film, and what it means for them both as out-actors to be a part of such a legacy. “Dude, it’s really dope,” said Faison. “I mean, it’s so nice to just be able to live and not be coded in metaphor.” Faison also noted that while Barker was truly brilliant for being able to introduce unquestionably queer themes into “Hellraiser” without having to outright name it, that it’s refreshing to be able to include that identity without subtext. “It’s nice to be able to now just fully live and then also don’t have to explain why we are, who we are, why we’re in this world,” he continued. “We’re just in it.”