It used to be much easier for long running horror franchises. A simple lightning bolt striking a tombstone was enough justification to bring the Big Bad back from the dead. The anthology format and standalone sequels seem to be the preferred method today. When a series does try to build on its existing story it is met with resistance as evidenced by the non-change in Black Phone 2 being too much of a change for many.
The Hell House LLC movies have never been afraid to add more lore. What started as a found footage movie about a group of friends putting together a haunted house has grown to include Satanic cults, killer clowns, and resurrections. Hell House LLC: Lineage continues the increasingly complicated story, but changes things up by being the first installment to move away from first person storytelling.
After seemingly dying in the third installment, Vanessa Shepard returns to Abaddon. She experiences visions and nightmares that seem connected to the Carmichael Manor. She soon learns how it all connects to a series of mysterious deaths that have been occurring for decades.
Starting with the fifth movie is not a good idea for watching most franchises, but Lineage makes it especially difficult for newcomers. More often than not, it seems to be actively pushing any new viewers away. Again, this is the fifth installment of a continuing story, but the change to a more traditional narrative seemed like a good way to introduce people to the Hell House LLC universe.
Of course, that may never have been the intention of writer-director Stephen Cognetti. It may have just been a case of bringing a fresh perspective to Lineage. Unfortunately, this does not work either since the already dense lore becomes more complicated. This is a series that goes back a decade, and you need to have intimate knowledge of each installment to keep up. In other words, even casual fans will need to have the Wikipedia entries at the ready.
When Lineage is not dumping more background, it is spinning its wheels. One of the things that made the original Hell House LLC so good was the atmosphere. Its contained storytelling kept audiences on the edge of their seats. By taking the action throughout Abaddon, this film loses the tense intimacy that was more important than any scary clowns.
Hell House LLC: Lineage undoes all of the good of the previous installment. It was teased to be the final film, but is clearly just a set up for more. The change from found footage takes away all tension, while the decision to add more lore to the already convoluted backstory is frustrating. This may end up being the last Hell House LLC movie no matter what the future plans are.
Hell House LLC: Lineage premieres on Shudder October 30.
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