Depicting anything as mysterious and ambiguous as the afterlife is one of cinema’s biggest challenges. Everyone has a different idea of what Hell might look like, and it isn’t possible for such depictions to always strike a chord with everyone.
But these films have managed to create something truly unforgettable. Here are the 8 best depictions of hell in cinema.
8. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Woody Allen’s ‘Deconstructing Harry’ offers an unusual vision of Hell. After a very long elevator ride into the underworld, a deeply flawed novelist named Harry finds himself face to face with the Devil.
Instead of relying on the usual horror aspect, the movie takes the spot in this list all because of the way it uses the framework of Hell to explore guilt, regret, and the consequences of humans’ own actions.
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7. Mad God (2021)
A film that took 30 years to create, ‘Mad God’ brings visual effects artist Phil Tippett’s haunting vision of Hell to life in the most spectacularly grotesque way. It is a bleak, nightmarish world where endless suffering is the only constant and every logic somehow gives way to chaos.
The movie is filled with absolutely disturbing stop-motion animation and imagery that is unlike anything seen in cinema. And that’s why it remains one of the most must-watch depictions of hell.
6. Constantine (2005)
Based on the ‘Hellblazer’ comic, ‘Constantine’ sees Keanu Reeves in the role of John Constantine, a man who has made a career out of exorcising demons and dealing with supernatural beings.
While investigating an apparent suicide, he ends up in Hell and finds a reflection of Earth itself. Except, it is frozen in a state of endless destruction with scorched skies, crumbling ruins, and swarms of terrifying demons.
5. Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
By mixing psychological horror elements with a signature comedic tone, ‘Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey’ puts a clever twist on Hell. After being killed by their evil robot doppelgangers, Bill and Ted end up in Hell.
Initially, they find it very interesting. Until they are trapped in a series of surreal nightmares based on their most traumatic childhood memories. In this version of hell, people are forced to relive their worst fears forever.
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4. Jigoku (1960)
If you are looking for pure and vivid horror, you have got ‘Jigoku’. Director Nobuo Nakagawa presents the most literal vision of the underworld in his film, where a large cast of deeply flawed characters ultimately faces the consequence of their actions.
What follows is a series of striking visuals of punishments and unforgettable images of torment. ‘Jigoku’ is a bold and uncompromising depiction of eternal damnation that purely portray what we know about hell.
3. Event Horizon (1997)
Traditionally, you would expect to find heaven if you fly up, but ‘Event Horizon’ takes hell into outer space. A rescue crew boards the long-lost starship Event Horizon, only to discover it has returned from a dimension of pure evil and has brought Hell along with it.
Rather than depicting the underworld as a physical place, the film is notable for presenting it as an unknowable force of unimaginable suffering. You only get to glimpse it through terrifying flashes of chaos and torment, but that’s more than enough to leave anyone unsettled.
2. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
The terrifying mythology of the Cenobites is extended in ‘Hellbound: Hellraiser II’ to bring one of the most imaginative visions of Hell. In this movie, the underworld is portrayed as a labyrinth that’s constantly changing, ruled by the mysterious Leviathan.
This nightmarish depiction is beyond any comprehension and filled with suffering and evil. Its surreal design plus the unsettling plotline makes it a very compelling watch.
1. What Dreams May Come (1998)
A cult classic when it comes to visual storytelling, ‘What Dreams May Come’ is a breathtakingly beautiful and deeply emotional vision of the afterlife. Robin Williams stars as a man who reaches Heaven, only to find that his wife is condemned to hell for suicide.
He risks it all to go to the underworld and reunite with his wife. The movie clearly reimagines the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but it also draws from Dante’s ‘Inferno’ to create a Hell that is emotionally haunting.
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