I am a big fan of the Hell House horror movie franchise and I have reviewed the first Hell House movie before, which I really enjoyed, so what will the sequel bring? Let's see!
Plot Overview
For those who haven't seen the first film, watching the sequel can be quite confusing as the events and characters from the first film are referenced and play a significant role in the sequel and I highly recommend to watch the first movie before diving into the second one to fully understand the story.
The focus of Hell House LLC II is primarily on the aftermath of the first film and takes place eight years after the events, and the setting has shifted to the present day.
Suzy McCombs is a reporter who is investigating the disappearances that have been occurring since that fateful night at the Abaddon Hotel.
Suzy hosts a morning show called Morning Mysteries, where she seeks answers about whether the events of the first movie were real or just a hoax, and she is determined to uncover the truth behind the history of the Aberdeen Hotel and the secrets that the town has been keeping.
The sequel follows a similar structure to the original movie, with a mix of documentary-style found footage investigation and the characters' own experiences inside the haunted hotel.
Structure and Shifts
Hell House LLC II utilizes time shifts to tell its story, which is be both intriguing and confusing.The film incorporates interview and documentary footage to add the depth and context to the events of the first film and these shifts between past and present, along with the use of different formats does work pretty well.
But the the jarring and messy feel of the shifts is both a strength and a weakness of the film though as on one one hand, it does add to the atmosphere and keeps you interested, but, on the other hand, it can lead to confusion and hinders the overall storytelling experience and disrupts the flow of the narrative.
Scares and Atmosphere
The filmmakers behind the movie have a knack for crafting genuine scares and just like in the first film, they know how to build suspense and create an unsettling atmosphere.
One of the best aspects of the film is the scenes set within the Abaddon Hotel itself as the dilapidated setting, coupled with flickering lights and ghostly sounds, adds to that overall sense of unease and the filmmakers use these elements to their advantage, heightening the tension and and making you feel like you cannot take your eyes of it,
The film delivers several moments that will potentially make you jump out of your seat. The atmospheric elements of the film also contribute to its impact, there is a sense of foreboding through the use of lighting, sound design, and set design, which is brilliant and the Abaddon Hotel itself becomes a character in the film, with its dark corridors and hidden secrets.
Weaknesses in Storytelling
While Hell House LLC II offers a continuation of the events from the first film, it falls short in terms of storytelling, and the lack of good storytelling in the film is evident from several aspects, including the poor acting and presentation and the setup of the film can be messy and the pacing jarring, as mentioned above.
The poor acting and presentation also hinders the ability to fully engage as much as the original and the performances were nowhere near as strong and the injection of misplaced humor throughout the film felt out of place too.
It just did not get that balance right that the first film did.
Final Thoughts
The sequel falls a bit short in terms of storytelling and has its share of flaws but it still offers a half decent continuation of the events from the first film and delivers some good moments. I didn't hate it and it was more than watchable, but it wasn't a patch on the first movie. [Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel on IMDB]
And remember, we have anew Hell House LLC movie releasing in 2025.
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Check out a few of my other horror movie reviews on Horror Movies Nerd.
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