In recent years there has been something that has been conspicuously absent from the Hollywood horror factory. That missing element is genuine creepiness. Most of the horror films that reach our screens fall into one of two categories. First are the sanitized PG-13 rated affairs that survive on jump scares; the others fall into the so-called area of "torture porn" along the lines of Saw. It is that which makes this movie stand out — it is genuinely creepy, it makes you wonder what exactly is going to happen next, and even though I haven't completely pieced the ending together, The Abandoned successfully sidesteps the current penchant for torture and over-reliance on jumps to create its atmosphere of dread.
The Abandoned is a haunted house story at its heart, and it wastes no time getting down to telling its tale of a lifelong fate that is about to be set right. It begins its story 40 years ago somewhere in Russia. A beat up old truck arrives at a small farmhouse. The family patriarch approaches the truck, clutching a shotgun, unsure of who is inside, and dreading the worst.
He opens the door to reveal a woman, bloody and near death, with a pair of babies on the seat next to her. Fast forward to the present day. We are introduced to Marie, am American film producer who has spent her life attempting to track down her roots, as she had been adopted as a young girl. Her search leads her to Russia, where we are left to make the simple connection that she was one of the babies in the opening scene.
Her search led her to Russia, where she was born and her mother died. Her mother's death has left her the heir to her home and surrounding land deep in the forest. This is where her journey begins; the closer she gets to her ancestral home, the harder the journey gets as no one seems to want to go there, believing that it is haunted. If only they knew how close they were to the truth.
Article comments
1 - Iloz Zoc
Very good breakdown on the film. It was a standout in the 8 Films to Die For Horror Festival last November. For the relatively small budget, I'd say around 4 to 5 million US or so, the cinematography, scoring, acting, and effects are fantastic.
You hit the nail on the nead: a really creepy film that leaves you wondering.
2 - Jet in Columbus
This is a recommended article on the BC Movie Review General forum...