If you want to watch the Hell House LLC movies in chronological order, follow this timeline: Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (events dating back to 1989 and set in 2021), Hell House LLC (set in October 2014), Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (set in October 2017), and Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (set in October 2018). While filmmaker Stephen Cognetti originally released them across eight years, watching by lore sequence reframes the entire mythology of the Abaddon Hotel.
Most horror fans stumble into this cult franchise thinking it is just another found footage haunt flick with a terrifying clown mannequin. Four films in, Cognetti has built an intricate, demonic puzzle box centered on suicide cults, occult portals, and intersecting timelines in upstate New York.
What You Need to Know
- The Core In-Universe Timeline: Origins (1989 lore / 2021 setting) → Hell House LLC (2014) → Hell House LLC II (2017) → Hell House LLC III (2018).
- Release Order vs. Lore Order: First-timers should stick to release order to preserve jump scares; rewatchers should choose chronological order to trace cultist Andrew Tully’s dark rituals from day one.
- The Carmichael Connection: The fourth entry operates as both an origin prequel and the furthest point forward in the franchise timeline.
- Where to Stream: All four movies stream regularly on Shudder and are frequently available on Tubi.
Release Order vs. Chronological Order: How Should You Watch?
Found footage hits hardest when you share the confusion of the characters holding the camcorder. If you are stepping into Rockland County for the very first time, release order is the best experience. The original 2015 indie shocker relies heavily on mystery, and starting with later installments strips away the dreadful question of what actually haunts the basement.
However, if you are doing an October franchise marathon or want to understand Andrew Tully’s demonic contract, the in-universe chronological timeline is eye-opening. For deep background on that fateful opening night tragedy, check out our breakdown of the Hell House LLC Ending Explained to see how Room 2-C fits into the grander scheme.
The Complete In-Universe Lore Timeline
To grasp the chronological flow, you have to separate when the camera footage was captured from when the characters were killed. Stephen Cognetti constructs every installment as an investigative documentary reviewing recovered footage. Here is the canonical order of events across the cursed upstate New York region.
1. The 1989 Carmichael Manor Murders (Hell House LLC Origins)
Before the Abaddon Hotel opened its doors to haunted attraction creators, horror struck the Carmichael estate in 1989. Arthur Carmichael, his wife Eleanor, and their children were found butchered in their grand, isolated Rockland County estate. Only their son Patrick vanished without a trace.
As revealed through historical tapes and newspaper clippings, Patrick Carmichael maintained a sinister friendship with cult leader Andrew Tully. This backstory anchors the entire franchise’s supernatural cosmology, explaining where Tully acquired the ritual power that would eventually poison the town of Abaddon.
2. The October 2009 Abaddon Hotel Cult Mass Suicide
Twenty years after the Carmichael slaughter, Andrew Tully enacted his catastrophic ritual inside the Abaddon Hotel. Tully and his devoted flock hung themselves in the dining room and basement, opening an otherworldly portal. Local police sealed the structure, leaving behind occult symbols, cursed clown mannequins, and an unresolved evil waiting for fresh blood.
3. October 2014: The 24 Frames Tour (Hell House LLC)
Five years after the cult’s mass suicide, Alex Prescott and his Brooklyn-based haunt crew, 24 Frames, lease the abandoned Abaddon Hotel to create an extreme Halloween attraction. Over forty days of preparation, the building chips away at their sanity: mannequins move without human hands, spectral women wander the second floor, and Alex ignores every warning sign to save his business.
On opening night—October 21, 2014—the portal fully awakens in the basement. Fifteen tour-goers and staff members die under horrific, chaotic circumstances, kicking off a media firestorm that drives the sequels.
4. October 2017: The Suicide Webcast (Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel)
Three years after the 24 Frames disaster, television journalist Jessica Fox teams up with Mitchell Cavanaugh, the lone surviving investigator from the original documentary. Driven by anonymous tips and viral online lore, Jessica leads a crew back inside the boarded-up hotel to livestream the truth.
Instead of answers, they walk directly into Tully’s trap. Tully uses modern digital broadcasts to feed fresh souls to the underworld, proving that the Abaddon’s influence stretches far beyond physical walls.
5. October 2018: The Insomnia Interactive Show (Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire)
One year later, wealthy theatrical producer Russell Wynn buys the condemned Abaddon property. Wynn plans to stage an immersive interactive theater piece titled Insomnia. Unbeknownst to his cast, Wynn possesses a personal, angelic tie to the property and intends to seal Tully’s gate for good.
The finale culminates in a literal battle between heavenly grace and infernal damnation, burning the Abaddon Hotel to ashes and seemingly ending Tully’s reign over Rockland County. Fans looking for similar faux-documentary chills will appreciate the dread found in mockumentary horror movies like Savageland.
6. Fall 2021: Margot and Rebecca at Carmichael Manor (Hell House LLC Origins)
Think burning down the Abaddon saved upstate New York? Think again. In autumn 2021, internet sleuth Margot Bentley and her girlfriend Rebecca travel to the Carmichael Manor to film a four-night cold case web series. As detailed in our deep dive on the Hell House LLC Origins Ending Explained, the two women uncover recovered 1989 tapes while realizing the Carmichael property and the Abaddon Hotel share the exact same demonic entity.
Franchise Breakdown: Lore, Runtime, and Critical Scores
To help you map out your weekend watch party, here is how each entry stacks up across release dates, settings, and audience reception according to verified IMDb ratings and review aggregates.
| Title / Scene / Clue | Platform / Timestamp | Deeper Meaning / Vibe | Our Verdict / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hell House LLC (2015) | Shudder / Tubi (93 mins) | Claustrophobic slow-burn indie dread in a real abandoned hotel | Masterclass modern found-footage classic (9/10) |
| Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018) | Shudder / Tubi (89 mins) | Heavy exposition dump exploring Andrew Tully’s occult mythology | Flawed sequel saved by chilling hallway set-pieces (6/10) |
| Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019) | Shudder / AMC+ (85 mins) | Biblical climax framing interactive theater as a spiritual battleground | Campy, ambitious trilogy capper that delivers closure (6.5/10) |
| Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023) | Shudder / AMC+ (98 mins) | Spooky estate mystery blending 1989 analog VHS tapes with 2021 phones | Triumphant franchise resurgence with peak scares (8.5/10) |
- Stephen Cognetti wrote and directed all four films, maintaining rare lore consistency.
- Practical clown effects rely on motionless tension rather than expensive CGI monsters.
- The mockumentary framing makes the discovered tapes feel grounded in urban legend reality.
- Part II suffers from lower acting budgets and stiff television studio sequences.
- Severe shaky-cam during climax scenes may trigger motion sickness for sensitive viewers.
Hidden Clues & Original Perspective Most Fans Miss
Casual viewers often treat these movies as simple haunted-house jump fests, but Cognetti seeded subtle details across the saga that reshape how you view the timeline.
1. The Piano Song Across Generations
Listen closely to the eerie piano melody played during the late-night haunting sequences in The Carmichael Manor. That identical melody plays from the old grand piano in the lobby of the Abaddon Hotel back in the 2015 original. It confirms that the Carmichael matriarch and Tully practiced the exact same musical summoning hymns decades apart.
2. The Clown Mannequin’s Shifting Clothes
The iconic life-size clown with the black-and-white ruffled collar is not just a prop Tully possessed. In Origins, we discover the original Carmichael family owned those exact antique clown costumes in 1989. Tully took those physical garments and repurposed them when dressing his cult’s idols inside the Abaddon basement.
3. The Reflection in Room 2-C
During the YouTube footage seen in Hell House LLC II, ghost hunters step into Room 2-C. When you pause the video around the 41-minute mark, the figure reflected in the mirror is not an Abaddon cult victim. It matches the silhouette of Patrick Carmichael, proving that Tully’s victims and the Carmichael dead share the same spectral dimension.
Fans of slow-burn psychological reveals will also love tracing hidden background spirits like those examined in our Lake Mungo Ending Explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to watch Hell House LLC in chronological order?
No. If you have never seen any entry, watch them in release order (1, 2, 3, and then Origins). Chronological order works best for a second viewing when you want to trace Andrew Tully’s rituals from 1989 up to the modern era.
Is Hell House LLC Origins a direct sequel or a prequel?
It is both. The Carmichael Manor operates as a narrative prequel by exploring murders that occurred in 1989 before the Abaddon Hotel opened, but the primary story takes place in the fall of 2021, making it the latest chronological event in the franchise.
Are the Hell House LLC movies based on a true story?
No, the films are completely fictional. The original film was shot on location at the Waldorf Estate of Fear, a real haunted attraction in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, as documented on Wikipedia. Tully and the Abaddon cult are creations of writer-director Stephen Cognetti.
Is there going to be a Hell House LLC 5?
Yes. Stephen Cognetti announced Hell House LLC: Lineage, which will continue exploring the Carmichael bloodline and deep lore ties across Rockland County.
Final Thoughts
Tackling the Hell House LLC franchise in chronological order turns a scrappy found-footage series into a cohesive, decade-spanning cosmic horror nightmare. By placing Origins at the start of your lore rewatch, the fate of the 24 Frames crew in the original 2015 film hits with even more tragic inevitability.
Which Hell House LLC movie scared you the most? Did you notice the clown mannequin move its head in the basement? Drop your favorite theories in the comments below!