Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor
A prequel and sequel in the Hell House LLC franchise.
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor is a 2023 American found footage horror film that was written and directed by Stephen Cognetti and released directly to streaming. It functions as both a prequel to the original 2015 film *Hell House LLC* and a sequel to the two subsequent installments, *Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel* (2018) and *Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire* (2019), placing it as the fourth movie in the franchise. Joe Bandelli produced the project, with Bridget Rose Perrotta, Destiny Leilani Brown, and James Liddell in the leading roles.
The story follows filmmaker and paranormal investigator Margot, her girlfriend Rebecca, and her brother Chase as they travel to a remote manor in Rockland County to document their probe into the Carmichael family murders. They focus on the disappearance of the prime suspects: the family patriarch, Arthur Carmichael, and his son, Patrick. Margot explains that her interest in the paranormal began after a man tried to kidnap her at a carnival when she was a child. Inside the house, the group discovers a locked storage room filled with the Carmichael family’s possessions, including three clown mannequins.
While examining artifacts from the Abaddon Hotel at a local antique store, Margot and Rebecca find a grandfather clock they recognize from the hotel. In a hidden compartment, they uncover film reels, documents, and a cross pendant. Back at the manor, Chase becomes unsettled by the apparent movement of the clowns and the presence of a masked woman. After the others return, he convinces them the manor is haunted.
The recovered film reels show Catherine Carmichael before and after the death of her sister Margaret, who was killed in a car crash that also left Patrick with a broken arm. Following the accident, Patrick grew withdrawn and disturbed, so Catherine gave him the pendant for protection. Later footage reveals that Patrick joined a cult led by Andrew Tully in hopes of resurrecting Margaret. The cult members invade the manor, where Margaret’s ghost kills Catherine.
In the present, Rebecca’s presentation to a real estate partner is interrupted by Catherine’s ghost. She convinces Margot to leave the manor in the morning, but Chase disappears overnight. Footage he recorded shows he was stalked and killed by one of the clown mannequins. Margot and Rebecca try to leave but find the car battery dead. Atte
- Release year
- 2023
- Director
- Stephen Cognetti
- Writer
- Stephen Cognetti
- Producer
- Joe Bandelli
- Genre
- Found footage horror
- Distributor
- Shudder
- Rotten Tomatoes score
- 88% positive (17 reviews)
Lore & Background
The film follows filmmaker and paranormal investigator Margot, her girlfriend Rebecca, and her brother Chase as they travel to a remote manor in Rockland County to investigate the Carmichael family murders. They discover a locked storage room containing three clown mannequins. Margot and Rebecca find artifacts from the Abaddon Hotel at a local antique store, including a grandfather clock with hidden film reels, documents, and a cross pendant. The recovered footage reveals that Patrick Carmichael joined a cult run by Andrew Tully to resurrect his sister Margaret, leading to Catherine Carmichael's death. In the present, the group is stalked by clown mannequins and ghosts, with Chase killed by a clown and Rebecca killed by Catherine's ghost. Margot finds Chase's eyeless corpse and is attacked by the clown, who is revealed to be Patrick Carmichael, the same man who tried to abduct Margot as a child.
Reader's Guide
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor expands the Hell House LLC franchise by connecting the Carmichael family murders to the Abaddon Hotel's supernatural events. The film received positive reviews, with an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 17 critics. Phil Hoad of The Guardian praised Cognetti's deployment of backstory and command of camera mechanics, while Maegan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting noted effective scares and a refreshing expansion of the story, though criticized the found footage format's tropey missteps. The film's mid-credit scene teases a returning fair and a clown peeking through a window. A fifth installment, Hell House LLC: Lineage, was announced in July 2024 and released in 2025.
Did You Know?
- The film simultaneously serves as a prequel to Hell House LLC (2015) and a sequel to both Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018) and Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019).
- Filming began on April 15, 2023, as announced by Stephen Cognetti.
- The film had a limited release on October 24, 2023, and was released on Shudder on October 30, 2023.
- A fifth installment, Hell House LLC: Lineage, was announced in July 2024 and released in 2025.
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