REVIEW | "Hell House LLC: Lineage" dives deeper into the frightening lore of the town of Abaddon
The fan-favorite franchise is set to return with fresh scares, some familiar faces, and a new format
I’ve been a fan of Hell House LLC since the beginning, to the point that it’s become a certified comfort movie over the years. I rewatch the franchise in the same way some people rewatch The Office, and it’s ok — you don’t have to say it — I know that probably makes me a little weird.
So you can likely imagine the sheer JOY I felt when an early screener of the latest entry, Hell House LLC: Lineage, arrived in my inbox, and just a few LONG hours later I sat down to watch one of the most terrifying clowns in horror return to my TV screen.
Before we get into my thoughts on Lineage, we need to return to the beginning. If you’re unfamiliar with the Hell House LLC franchise, this will be the fifth entry, so it’s important to revisit the story and lore of the films that came before it. (Trust me — it will all come together, and I promise to avoid major spoilers.)
Hell House LLC (2015) — Where It All Began (But Not Really)
The first film in the franchise introduces us to the long abandoned Abaddon Hotel as it welcomes its new owners. A group of friends who own the annual haunted house attraction, Hell House, have arrived to the hotel in hopes to reinvigorate their business in a brand new location. There is a deeper reason for their sudden move, but as is the case with these films, we don’t start to put those puzzle pieces together until later in the franchise.
The dark presence in the hotel slowly reveals itself ultimately resulting in a tragedy on opening night that takes the lives of 15 tour-goers and staff. When the local news refers to an “unknown malfunction” as the cause, a documentary crew, led by Diane Graves, arrives in town to put together the pieces leading up to opening night and uncovers what really happened in the hotel. This is where the lore starts, but the pieces of it fall well beyond the walls of the Abaddon.
Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel (2018) — The Intro to Andrew Tully
Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel takes place following the events of the first film, and the authenticity of the Hell House documentary has been called into question. Many of the locals believed the documentary (and the footage shown in it) are simply a hoax. After watching a news special on the documentary and the controversy behind it, a team of online journalists, led by Jessica Fox, contact Diane Graves’ cameraman Mitchell to enlist his help in continuing the investigation.
In this entry we see more of the many victims of the Abaddon Hotel over the years and learn about its original owner, Andrew Tully. Tully was the ringleader of a satanic cult in the town and had been luring guests into the hotel for years who would ultimately disappear. He’ll become a key figure in the story of the town of Abaddon.
As an aside, at this point we also find out a little more about what brought the original Hell House LLC crew to the town in the first place. It’s worth mentioning that we get many additional details and reveals in the end credit scenes of these films so don’t cut out early. The second film is truthfully my least favorite of the 5 entries, but it still has its moments. If nothing else, it’s worth watching for the pieces of the story that will come together later.
Hell House LLC 3: Lake of Fire (2019) - Wrapping Up Our Time at the Abaddon Hotel
In this next entry to the Hell House story, we find the abandoned Abaddon Hotel in the hands of a new owner putting on a very different kind of show. Wealthy entrepreneur Russell Wynn purchased the hotel as the site of his fully immersive, interactive show “Insomnia”. To market the show, he invites journalist Vanessa Shepherd and her crew to document the preparations and behind the scenes moments leading up to the premiere. Remember Vanessa — she’s actually our star of the new film (and I promise we’re getting there).
As time goes on and the crew is terrorized by the forces inside the hotel, Vanessa uncovers more about the history of the hotel and cult leader Andrew Tully. She also finds out that Russell is hiding secrets of his own, including his real reason for making the Abaddon Hotel the new home of his show.
I didn’t realize that I held an unpopular opinion (based on the IMdB reviews), but I personally liked the third entry better than the second. I found the characters to be far more likable and fun to watch, the acting was better, and it has one of the scariest scenes in the entire franchise (see it below):
This is the last film that spends time in the Abaddon Hotel, at least directly, before we move on to the story of The Carmichael Manor. However, we’ll find out soon enough that both these locations are very much connected by the same person.
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023) - The Backstory Behind the Clowns
The fourth entry introduces us to a new house with a new set of characters. It’s present day, and we meet paranormal investigator Margot Bentley, along with her girlfiend, Rebecca Vickers, and her brother, Chase. One plot detail to note is that Margot’s interest in paranormal investigation started when she was almost abducted at a carnival as a child by a man in a clown suit.
For her latest passion project, Margot convinces a VERY reluctant Rebecca to travel with her to the abandoned home of the Carmichael family in a small town just outside of Abaddon. The Carmichael Manor is the site of a family murder. Arthur Carmichael and his son, Patrick, are the prime suspects, but have since gone missing.
The longer they stay at the manor, the more they realize they’re in danger. Throughout the scares though, we see Margot find artifacts connecting the Carmichael Manor to the Abaddon Hotel. We also discover the man behind the clown mask of Hell House, and how the Carmichael family is connected to the cult leader, Andrew Tully.
At the time of its release, this film was debatably the strongest of the franchise since the original. The scares are well done, the atmosphere was creepy, and the pacing kept you constantly looking in the shadows of the manor. However, I didn’t fall in love with Margot as a character and found her to be a little unlikeable at times. That said though, this entry is a little more methodical in its approach to adding new pieces to the bigger picture of the franchise, setting the stage for where we’re going in Lineage.
Hell House LLC: Lineage (2025) - I Told You We’d Get There!
Hell House LLC: Lineage is set to be the fifth (and supposedly final) installment of the franchise, and it brings back Vanessa Shepherd from the third film. After her near death experience covering Insomnia, Vanessa is still experiencing nightmares and visions that have drawn her back to the town of Abaddon. As mysterious deaths start to occur around her, she learns the deeper connection between the Abaddon Hotel, the Carmichael Manor, and the victims of the evil that have haunted this town for decades.
Admittedly, I had a key concern going into this film. While the previous 4 Hell House movies were in a found footage style, franchise director Stephen Cognetti made the decision to leave that behind in favor of a more traditional storytelling format. I feared this change could leave the movie feeling disconnected from its predecessors, but instead, it was an effective (and necessary) change for the story this entry wanted to tell.
The opening scene alone sets the stage for the scares we get in the movie, with Cognetti showcasing once again how he can create terror and tension without relying solely on standard jumpscares. The iconic clown is no longer hiding in the basement of Hell House, but instead actively stalking and terrorizing its victims throughout the town of Abaddon.
The plot is methodical in its reveals, but ultimately Cognetti successfully weaves a story merging together the entire franchise. We find out that every victim of the evil of the town (including Vanessa herself) was never by chance, but instead connected by a much bigger story that centers around a key figure in the last movie: Margaret Carmichael and her untimely death. Despite the seemingly million moving parts setup by the first 4 films, Lineage manages to keep its pacing consistent without muddling the story — delivering near constant scares and tension amid carefully piecing together the many connections to the story of everything that’s transpired.
Lineage unpacks a lot of lore in a tight runtime. If its been awhile, I highly recommend revisiting the rest of the franchise prior to seeing this one, particularly the third and fourth films, because the details of those stories all collide here. Long-standing fans of the franchise will get to see many of the characters of the previous films return and enjoy putting together the clues that tie it all together. Those new to the franchise will still get fresh scares and a new clown to fear next time they go to a carnival. While I know Cognetti has said this was likely the final entry to the franchise, the ending of Lineage leaves room to hope that we may not truly be done with our stay at the Abaddon Hotel.
Hell House LLC: Lineage (2025) releases exclusively in theaters nationwide August 20, 2025. Check out the teaser trailer below:
Hell House LLC is one of my favorites. I’ve enjoyed every movie so far, so I can’t wait to see what’s next.