The mind of a hedonistic criminal is our entry point into Clive Barker's 1986 horror novella, "The Hellbound Heart." This man, Frank Cotton, acquires a puzzle box which, once solved, supposedly morphs into a portal to an extradimensional pleasure realm. However, when Frank solves the puzzle, frightening, sadomasochistic creatures emerge and subject him to the extremes of the pleasure-pain spectrum. After being captured by these beings (who call themselves Cenobites), Frank finds a way to escape, return to Earth, and seek new excesses of depravity involving his brother's wife and his niece.

Such is the premise of Barker's "Hellraiser," which brought "The Hellbound Heart" to life in vivid, uncompromising shades. This 1987 film — which quickly spawned a popular horror franchise — explores extremity and excess, why humans crave it, and how the Cenobites deal it out. Barker imbues these beings with greater moral ambiguity in the initial "Hellraiser" films, describing them as "demons to some,...