The 20 most iconic depictions of hell in movies and TV

As with its parent series, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss takes place in hell, though in this case it focuses more on a group of hitmen (based out of hell) who take up contracts for those in the mortal world. The fact that it is set in hell allows it to take some very notable risks, and it is a delightful romp for those who enjoy their animation with more than a little bit of raunch. Also like Hazbin Hotel, it manages to make hell into a place that is somehow both very funny and yet also vaguely terrifying.

Given that it’s traditionally understood to be a place of punishment, it makes sense that hell would repeatedly emerge in horror. It makes a particularly memorable appearance in the film Hellraiser II, figured as a sort of gray maze filled with horrors. It’s all overseen by a giant geometric object known as the Leviathan. This depiction of hell stands out from the rest, and the fact that it largely eschews the fire and brimstone vision one expects makes it all that much more disturbing.

The Disney film Hercules might take some pretty notable liberties with the established Greek myths, but it does have a very stunning vision of Hades. Ruled over by the god of the same name — voiced by James Woods — this is a dark and sinister realm, one in which the poor souls of the dead float in forgetful misery. Indeed, there are some scenes that verge on the outright horrifying, including the one near the end in which the villainous Hades is swept away by the very souls he has kept in servitude which, it seems, is a very fitting end for him.

The Amazon series Hazbin Hotel takes a bit of an irreverent look at hell, focusing on Charlie Morningstar, who takes it upon herself to try to save various human souls from being permanently destroyed. This vision of hell may not be terrifying as viewers have been led to expect, but it’s still remarkably colorful, brought to vivid life by the series’ stunning animation. The series’ brilliance lies in its ability to capture both the gruesomeness and the strange beauty of hell. It’s a delightfully irreverent take on the afterlife and the denizens of hell. 

Even though Robin Williams was best known for his comedy, he delivered several haunting dramatic performances, including in the film What Dreams May Come. In the film, Williams portrays a man who, after his death, attempts to save his wife from hell. The vision of hell that this film offers to stick in the mind, particularly the floor filled with faces. Few films have captured the true horror of this afterlife realm quite as effectively.

Dante’s Inferno is one of the most influential visions of hell to have been created in the world of literature, and it received the big-screen treatment in 1911. The film is a fascinating vision of what silent cinema could achieve, and it draws extensively from established conventions of depicting hell, particularly Gustave Doré’s famous engravings. The film makes ample use of special effects, all of which grant this vision of hell a certain nightmarish quality that has stood the test of time remarkably well.

Tim Robbins gives a haunting performance in Jacob’s Ladder, in which he plays Jacob, a Vietnam War vet who begins to experience nightmarish visions after serving. It turns out that things are even more horrifying than just the war and that, in fact, he is in his own unique version of hell. Jacob’s Ladder is haunting and thought-provoking, and it uses hell to force the viewer to ask troubling questions about the nature of the afterlife and what true horrors might await after one leaves one’s mortal body. 

In the short-lived Netflix series Kaos, viewers get a unique vision of the realm of Hades, in which the spirits of the dead — at least those who are given their final coin — are allowed to pass into what’s known as Renewal. The truth, though, is that the gods are really using the souls of the dead to create their own immortality, leaving petrified souls behind. It’s a unique take on the darker side of the afterlife, and it shows the extent to which the gods in this series are even more cruel and unfeeling than their ancient world counterparts.

South Park has always been one of those pop culture phenomena that loves to poke fun at anything remotely resembling good taste. This is particularly true in the feature film which, among other things, depicts a hilarious and also slightly disturbing vision of hell. Among other things, it shows that the tyrant and genocidal dictator Saddam Hussein has begun a relationship with none other than Satan himself. It’s one of those absurdist moments at which this film excels, and it makes for a very unique vision of hell. 

Sam Raimi brings his own unique cinematic vision to Drag Me to Hell, in which a young loan officer is cursed by a Roma woman and, at the end of the film, is dragged to hell. The vision it offers is a brief one, but it still is quite manifestly horrifying, particularly as poor Christine is essentially consumed by fire while her boyfriend Clay can do nothing to help her. Hell, it seems, is a force that cannot be resisted, particularly when one is laboring under a terrible curse.

The core of the series Good Omens — based on the novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman — is the relationship between demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale. Even though most of the action occurs on Earth, there are glimpses of Hell. It definitely appears to be the sort of place one would not want to spend an eternity. The one bright spot is Miranda Richardson, who portrays the cunning demon Shax, but even she is far more cunning and cruel than she lets on. Like the other residents of hell, she’s just out for herself.  

The titular band of The Legend of Vox Machina has faced a lot of challenges during the three seasons of the show, but in the most recent season they end up having to go to hell. The series sees several group members going to the Nine Hells, where they see the horrors inflicted on unfortunate souls, and Pike has to engage in some soul-searching when she’s challenged to a game by a very handsome and powerful demon. This entire sequence is rendered with the series’ trademark meticulous attention to animated detail, making it so terrifying and compelling. 

Keanu Reeves makes one of his memorable appearances in Constantine, in which he portrays the title character, an exorcist with a troubled past and present. The film is notable for its depiction of hell, which, as one might expect, is a fiery wasteland. This is very much in keeping with the general aesthetic and ethos of the film, which skillfully blends the superhero and horror film. It’s thus not surprising that, in the years since its release, it has definitely become something of a cult favorite.

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey is, as the title would suggest, a very silly comedy film, but it is memorable at least in part because of the scene in which its title duo ends up going to hell. The hapless friends end up having to face their own most traumatic memories, which seems exactly what one would expect after having been sent to the realm ruled over by the Prince of Darkness. Thankfully it’s not as frightening as some other on-screen depictions of hell, in large part because the film is surreal and whacky enough to allow the viewer not to take things too seriously.

The horror film As Above, So Below puts its own unique spin on the iconography and appearance of hell, focusing on a scholar who ends up going into the Catacombs of Paris, only to find herself in a realm eerily reminiscent of the hell depicted in Dante’s Divine Comedy. The film is filled with some extraordinarily haunting images, and the found footage aesthetic adds a layer of verisimilitude. The literary allusions help to anchor what would otherwise come to be a rather run-of-the-mill horror film. 

Based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman follows the title character after he escapes his captivity at the hands of mortals. Among other things, he ends up going to hell, which Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer Morningstar rules over. This is arguably one of Christie’s best roles, and she brings an icy sort of beauty to the ruler of the infernal world. The visual design of hell is also striking, with a bleak atmosphere that makes it clear this is definitely not a place a mortal soul would want to be sent.

Renowned animator Don Bluth has long been known for his willingness to challenge his young audiences, and in All Dogs Go to Heaven that challenge comes in the form of a very graphic and terrifying vision of hell. Even though it is just a dream that main character Charlie has in which he is sent to hell, it’s filled with typical Bluth animated touches, fire, lava, and dragon-like creatures. It’s one of those moments destined to haunt the mind of child viewers everywhere, and it’s another sign of just how brilliant of an animator Bluth was, particularly in his heyday.

Released in 2000, Little Nicky  is very clearly a vehicle for Adam Sandler, who in this case portrays Nicky, one of the sons of Satan. The depiction of hell here is a remarkably brutal one, with lots of fire and elaborate punishments for those who are particularly evil (with Adolf Hitler enduring quite a lot, and rightly so). This goes to show that, for all hell might be a source of fear and anxiety for many, it can also be a surprising source of comedy, particularly when Adam Sandler is involved.

Kristen Bell gives one of the most memorable performances of her career in The Good Place, where she plays Eleanor Shellstrop, who finds out she has been sent to Heaven by what she thinks is a mistake. As it turns out, however, she is part of an experiment on the part of several demons to find new ways of torturing humans. The series largely eschews the usual gruesome depictions of hell in favor of something more realistic, making it so terrifying and thought-provoking.

Paul W.S. Anderson directed Event Horizon, a haunting and often terrifying blend of science fiction and horror. What begins as a story about the efforts to rescue a ship that has suddenly returned after a period of disappearance soon becomes something more sinister, once it becomes clear the ship actually managed to open a portal to hell. There’s a particularly jarring vision of hell itself, which sears itself into the mind of the viewer with the intensity of its violence and horror.