HELL HOUSE LLC: LINEAGE MURDERS THE FRANCHISE

 Ok, seriously, what even was the point of this movie? It barely even ties into any of the previous films. Two character from previous entries are brought back, but very little is done with them. Our lead, Vanessa from Hell House 3, is suffering some serious trauma from the events of the third film, so she decides the best course of action is to move back to the town of Abaddon and live there. Her SWPS is off the freaking charts. 

Vanessa continually has nightmares that alternate between thrusting her into the past and giving her frightening portends of future events. Then there’s the B plot of another investigative journalist who brings a priest with her to exorcise the Carmichael manor, believing that it’s where all the evil stems from. The film continually jumps between these two plots, but neither are particularly interesting. The scares, tension, and suspense is very sparse here. Lineage continually falls back on the one clown from every previous film as the main source of scares, and it doesn’t work. 

There are some other ghosties and ghoulish, but they don’t show up until later. Lineage also fails to come to any kind of a wrap-up or conclusion. The last 10 minutes are where we finally get some tie-ins to previous films. The reveals here are lackluster and fail to surprise or shock. Multiple new characters are introduced (some with important ties to the town and its history), but they get very minimal screen time and little character development…mostly existing just to up the kill count. 

The only good thing I have to say about this is the cinematography is decent and the proceedings have an autumnal atmosphere, though the loss of found footage and the claustrophobia that comes from setting the film in one sole location is absolutely felt. In the end, this installment feels the most forced and unnecessary of any Hell House LLC production. It exists solely as an inter-quel or stepping stone, teasing the return of Mitchell from Hell House LLC 2 for the next installment. Hell House LLC Lineage is a complete and total waste of 109 minutes. SKIP IT, and when the next one comes out read the Wikipedia page for Lineage so you’re caught up.

1 STAR