“Hell House LLC” is a horror film that purports to be based on a true story. It’s not, though this is a prerequisite for the found footage sub-genre.
Written and directed by Stephen Cognetti, “Hell House LLC” in a salt of the Earth indie flick. Released in 2015, the movie sets its focus on a group of friends running a haunted house. Some aspects work. Most don’t. Sequels have since spawned. It’s modern day horror at its finest.
Hell House LLC is a team of five. They spend all year prepping haunted houses that will operate for the month of October. The crew is in the process of setting up the Abaddon Hotel in downstate New York. Where do I send my resume?
As is the case with found footage, the first act is slow, serving to introduce the viewer to the characters and setting. It’s a sleepy rural town. The building is decrepit. I actually like the idea of a corporation monetizing Halloween fun and it leading to disaster. It’s quite believable.
The plot is predictable.
The Abaddon Hotel is rumored to be haunted. Spoiler alert – it actually is. The Hell House LLC employees are typical bait for a horror film. Alex (Danny Bellini) is the leader and takes skepticism to the next level. He doesn’t believe in anything paranormal, despite being presented with literal video evidence. Paul (Gore Abrams) is the goofball who films the majority of it. Ryan Jennifer Jones plays Alex’s girlfriend, Sara. She’s the Scream Queen. Tony (Jared Hacker) and Mac (Adam Schneider) are there to support or antagonize Alex and Paul as the scene calls for.
The acting isn’t great but it passes. Some of Alex’s lines don’t read as anything other than an exposition dump. I did enjoy Paul’s comic relief. Ryan Jennifer Jones demonstrates she has the chops to be in second-tier horror films, and that’s not necessarily a criticism.
There are some pretty decent scares. The props the group uses, in particular mannequins with gruesome masks are pretty scary. The limited view of Paul’s camcorder make for some unsettling moments, though there are plenty of times where the filming is odd. Like bro – put the damn camera down and help your friends or run away.
Confusing ending
The story builds to the third act in which the main events occur. Understanding that its “real” footage means the camerawork isn’t professional. But its difficult to decipher what is happening. The movements are hectic (don’t watch if you have epilepsy) and the quality is poor. It ends on a down note and that’s what prevents it from being an also-ran horror movie.
“Hell House LLC” isn’t a bad film. If you’re looking for something simple that will provide a few scares in ninety minutes, it’s worth checking out.
“Hell House LLC” is currently available to stream on Amazon.
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