PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Of all the categories of horror films, my heart will always belong to the found footage genre. Of those, I dearly love Stephen Cognetti’s Hell House LLC series, which follows mysterious and deadly events at the Abaddon Hotel in rural New York. After completing the trilogy in 2019, fans may have wondered if this was the end. But wonder no more, because Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor is here to answer any lingering questions fans might have!
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor Synopsis
A group of cold case investigators stay at the Carmichael Manor, site of the grisly and unsolved murders of the Carmichael family back in the eighties. After four nights, the group was never heard from again. What is discovered on their footage is even more disturbing than anything found on the Hell House tapes.
The film is not a prequel in the traditional sense, but very cleverly fills in details and really fleshes the story out. Origins is about couple Margot (Bridget Rose Perotta – Scratch Off) Rebecca (Destiny Leilani Brown – 12 to Midnight), and Margot’s brother Chase (James Liddell – First Contact) and their attempt to make a true crime video about infamous murders that took place at the Carmichael Manor in 1989. These crimes were believed to have been committed by either father Arthur Carmichael or his son Patrick Carmichael. Patrick Carmichael, incidentally, worked at the Abaddon Hotel for Andrew Tully, and was a member of his cult. Needless to say, things do not go as planned.
One of the things I love about the Hell House LLC films it that director Cognetti plays with footage from the past and present seamlessly to create tension and an air of dread. It doesn’t hurt that he focuses the story more on those creepy ass clown mannequins. Those things are pure nightmare fuel. The acting was excellent across the board, especially Perrotta as Margot.
This film was created for fans of the series. It will never be about jump scares or a menacing, impossible-to-kill character that hunts down unsuspecting teens. But as a longtime superfan of the Hell House franchise I loved this movie and recommend it! Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor hits Shudder on October 30, 2023!
