Hell House LLC

Just when you think the found footage horror film has nowhere left to go, the well now running dry after granddaddy of them all The Blair Witch Project's release in 1999, along comes a low-budget gem like Hell House LLC.

Directed by debut feature length filmmaker Stephen Cognetti, who edited the film over a course of a full calendar year as he worked another full time job, Hell House may on paper seem like a tough sell but due to the films non-reliance on jump scares and instead a focus on subtle build ups and solid character design and growth, Cognetti's film is an effective example of both low-budget filmmaking and the found footage style of horror film's that has been going through a rough time over the last few years.

Setting up a slow build scenario, Cognetti's film draws the audience in as we witness a haunted house crew set-up for a new season of Halloween haunts and scares in a decrepit old hotel building on the outside country surrounds of New York City.

Mixing in talking head interviews with journalists and eye-witnesses of a night of terror and death on the Hell House's opening night, the film feels like a lived in and realistic experience as the hotel premise's true nature begins to be unravelled by the production crew and we the audience begin to understand the horrors that the hotel harbors within its bricks and motor design.

Most impressive for a film of this nature and budget, Hell House has great production values and extremely solid acting turns which makes the haunted house feel alive and real and rare for a film of this ilk, the characters here are ones we grow to care for and are characters that feel cut from the real world, unlike many found footage film's where characters feel unrealistic and most tellingly, uninvolving.

Not everything in Hell House works to the standard it sets, a few plot contrivances and some obvious budget constraints hamper a few scenes and situations but with a focus on the practical (the Hell House is an impressively constructed set-piece for the film) and the stories engaging design, Hell House is an enjoyable and frequently haunting piece of horror filmmaking.

Final Say –

One of recent memories great little horror surprises, Hell House LLC is the newest found footage experience you didn't know you needed and a splendid calling card for its director Stephen Cognetti, a director who quite clearly is an astute student of the genre and a filmmaker to keep a very close eye on.

3 ½ creepy pianist's out of 5

Found footage horror movie set in an abandoned hotel that some enterprising young people hope to turn into an elaborate Halloween haunted house. But on opening night, things go horribly wrong and 15 people end up dead. An investigative journalist sets out to uncover the truth of Hell House.

When Hell House LLC works, it's incredibly effective. There are parts of the film that really creeped me out. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's clowns. So, when dead-looking clown mannequins start moving mysteriously in the night, it's uber-creepy to me.. Throw in a basement with Satanic drawings on the wall and old bibles scattered on the floor and I'm ready to hide until it's all over. The backstory of the hotel and the hotel itself are also pluses for the film. You get a weird, spooky vibe from the building even before anyone sets foot inside it. Finally, I like the fact that Hell House LLC is really two found footage movies in one. I won't spoil anything, but the twist at the end worked on me.

But as my rating would indicate, all is not perfect with Hell House LLC. I have two chief complaints. First, almost every character involved in the haunted house preparation is as annoying as sin. The entire time I was watching, I just hoped Paul and Danny would be among the dead. Second, and more importantly, not a single character in the movie displayed an ounce of common sense. You hear strange things in the night - what do you do? Walk around with a camera and a weak flashlight? Well that's what these people do. Turn on the damn lights! The lights work - use them. And after you've seen strange things that shouldn't happen (like a dead-looking clown moving around), do you get out? Not if you're these lunkheads. The first time I saw some of the happenings they see, I'd be on the first bus out of town. But because the characters in this movie act without an iota of common sense, they're like lambs led to slaughter.

Overall, a real mixed bag. Hell House LLC is creepy enough, but the characters really hurt my enjoyment.

5/10

Hell House LLC was probably the biggest surprise for me in the found footage genre. The movie flowed well throughout the whole duration, not becoming too boring like some horror movies often do. While there is a lack of character development at the start, they begin to flesh out later on in the film. The story seems believable as well, while some movies may explore a haunted area "because they want to see what is there", Hell House LLC sets up a more stable backstory, explaining how setting up haunted houses is a practice for the crew and that they need to go through with it for financial reasons.

If you want a found footage horror film and don't want cheesy jump scares then this movie is great for you.

First of all, this movie isn't bad, it's just not as good as the hundreds of fake/paid reviews says.

The story was decent but a bit slow at the beginning, like every FF movies.

The acting was decent, I seen much worse but in general the actors did a good job.

I really liked the sets. The house was creepy and they had a decent budget for props. I don't recall any CGI effects.

To conclude, if you need a semi decent horror flick to help you fall asleep, this one will do the job.

Found footageflicks can go two ways, or it works or it fails completely, teher's no in between. Luckily this one works and even as it doesn't have any effects or let's even say blood (okay at the end a bit) it is sometimes creepy and towards the end you want to know what is going on.

Of course the flick has to start with a lot of 'real' news facts and interviews with cops who were at the crime scene but once that's over the movie picks up speed. Don't watch it to closely, the footag eis edited a thing that in real life can't happen naturally but if you don't mind that, then it gives you entertainment.

The use of manne quinq and clows and stuff happenng in a basement, well, face it, it delivers. What is going on with the hotel, I can't tell, ypu will have some background but no explaination at all.

So, it's okay even without effects, just look at Blair Witch, no effects there, It isn't a Blair Witch but it's surely worth picking up.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5