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Film: Hell House LLC
Year: 2015
Director: Stephen Cognetti
Writer: Stephen Cognetti
Starring: Gore Abrams, Alice Bahlke and Danny Bellini
Review:
This was a film that when I first got into podcasts, I was hearing a lot about it. I added it to my list of films to see. Being found footage intrigued me. Other than that information, I came into this one blind. Now I’ve also given it a second watch as a Voyage through the FiVes. I waited for October since this is featuring a haunt for Halloween. This second watch was the director’s cut as well.
Synopsis: five years after an unexplained malfunction caused the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.
A documentary crew, led by Diane Graves (Alice Bahlke), investigates the Hell House LLC tragedy. They show a YouTube video of a patron entering the haunted house, but the footage cuts off in the basement as chaos erupts. After background information is provided, Sara Havel (Ryan Jennifer Jones) appears with tapes from that night but offers no explanation for withholding them from the police.
Her boyfriend is Alex Taylor (Danny Bellini). He’s the owner of Hell House LLC and every year they put on events like this. They’re going to Abaddon, New York as there is an old hotel they can take over. There actually seems to be a history here, but Alex claims he has no idea about that. With Alex and Sara are Andrew ‘Mac’ McNamera (Adam Schneider), Paul O’Keefe (Gore Abrams) and Tony Prescott (Jared Hacker). We see early on there are some issues in this group.
As they get the place ready, weird things start to happen. Paul is tasked with filming their progress and he starts to see a figure that is wearing the clown mask from the basement. It is supposed to be a mannequin inside. The rational thought is someone messing with them. When the actors show up, Melissa (Lauren A. Kennedy) brings up the hotel’s past. Paul isn’t the only one affected by this as it all culminates in a nightmare on their opening night. It’s there that we see from multiple angles what really happened.
Now I wanted to go a little vague here with this recap as this movie doesn’t have the deepest story, but it’s more about the atmosphere, how creepy the setting is and the scary things they experience. Not to play my hand too much, but I like what this does. It does certain things that make me feel uneasy so I have to give credit there for sure.
Let’s then tackle what could turn off most people that this is filmed in the style of found footage. This one works for me as there’s a reason for a camera to be filming all the time. Alex uses it for promotional videos as well as for the next year to not duplicate things to keep it fresh. There are moments where it gets a bit shaky, which I’m not always a fan of. They do a great job at having things in the background, so it does make me feel uneasy though looking all over the frame. It is a great way to keep the viewer engaged.
This haunted house film cleverly blurs the line between a genuine haunting and human interference, creating a meta-narrative about a haunt that might be real. Subtle backstory enriches the plot, with the town's name, Abaddon (a demon guarding hell), fitting for Hell House LLC's arrival. Rumors of a cult operating in the abandoned hotel further explain its unsettling history and current events. I think it is an interesting concept of the nature of fear through the lens of real vs. artificial.
The story will explore ambition, greed, and capitalism versus safety. The company's financial investment makes failure detrimental, but supernatural elements complicate the crew's disbelief. A crew member's disappearance, a recurring issue, enhances themes of unreliable reality and perception, effectively utilized through found footage.
As a fan of well-executed found footage, I appreciate the filmmaking aspects, which utilizes the camera as a light source with effective cinematography and framing. The fact that I’m engaged, searching the frame adds something. The practical effects and creepy, potentially moving props enhance realism and contributed to my unease. The film also effectively uses ambient sound and diegetic music.
I appreciate the amateur acting in these types of movies, as it enhances the found-footage aesthetic. Abrams was good, often humorous, while Bahlke's inquisitive portrayal, though a bit over the top, made sense ultimately. Jones and Schneider also gave interesting performances. The rest of the cast was adequate, with a special mention of Kennedy's attire in the basement scene.
In conclusion, this stands out as a compelling found-footage horror film that effectively builds atmosphere and unease. Its clever blurring of reality and the supernatural, coupled with strong filmmaking choices like effective cinematography and practical effects, create a genuinely unsettling experience. While the story itself isn't overly complex, the film's strength lies in its ability to engage the viewer and deliver a memorable Halloween-themed scare.
My Rating: 8.5 out of 10