Doug Bradley, best known for his iconic role as Pinhead in Hellraiser, returns to the horror genre with a chilling new role in Thorns, a religious horror film directed by Douglas Schulze. While Bradley may not be donning gruesome practical effects and piercing objects in his face as he did in his famed Hellraiser films, his latest performance brings him into a nightmarish world of biblical proportions.
In Thorns, Bradley steps away from his usual role as the harbinger of hell to play a character who must witness the horror unfold. The film introduces a creature reminiscent of a Cenobite, adorned with thorns around its head, bringing hellish terror to Earth. The newly released trailer offers a close-up look at the haunting presence of this entity, known as the Necronaut, as it spreads chaos.
Schulze, the director behind The Dark Below, Hellmaster, and Mimesis, openly admits that his new film takes inspiration from several horror classics, such as The Thing, Alien, and The Exorcist. However, it is impossible to overlook the influence of Hellraiser. Not only does Bradley appear in the film, but Thorns also draws on themes of sin, religion, and the supernatural—a signature touch of the Hellraiser franchise. The story follows an ex-priest who now works for NASA. He is tasked with investigating a remote observatory that mysteriously went silent after receiving a cryptic radio signal from deep space. As the investigation unfolds, he discovers that the signal is spreading a sinister version of God’s word, heralding the biblical apocalypse.
Schulze describes Thorns as an homage to ’80s monster movies, a genre he admires for its emphasis on practical effects. “At its core, Thorns is an homage to ’80s era monster movies, from our use of practical effects to a synth-fueled music score and lots of Easter eggs,” he explained. “Hellraiser, The Thing, Alien—these are all great films with even greater practical makeup effects. For me, the best horror cinema avoids the overuse of computer-generated effects when creating visceral, real horror.”
The film is set to be released on VOD on May 6, 2025, by Vantage Media. The newly revealed trailer showcases the dark, visceral nature of the horror, offering a perfect blend of suspense and gruesome visuals. Despite its original premiere in August 2023, Thorns is getting a second chance to make an impact with horror fans and enthusiasts of ’80s sci-fi.
Doug Bradley, who has portrayed Pinhead in eight Hellraiser films, is now on the other side of the horror spectrum. Though his character in Thorns might not seem as sinister at first, his ominous presence in the trailer suggests that things may not be as they seem. Bradley’s return to the genre is sure to send chills down the spine of viewers, especially as the malevolent Necronaut threatens both believers and non-believers alike.
