The Abandoned – After Dark Horrorfest

Why is this film an After Dark Horrorfest title? This could have been marketed and released as a standalone film.

A woman goes to Russia in an attempt to uncover what happened to her mother 42 years earlier. That is where we are introduced to the film’s incredible 4 main characters. The woman looking for her roots encounters the twin brother she didn’t know existed. There they come across the antagonists, darkness itself and a house that harbors the remains of the angry, violent truth. We have an English language Russian Ju-On.

The darkness truly is a character. The first half of this film is environmental horror at its best. Watch it with the lights out and the surround sound turned up. You will find yourself looking around your own room. The sound and visuals permeate your reality perfectly. This film successfully taps into everyone’s primal fears of the dark and unknown.

After time, the film takes the needed supernatural twist, and here’s the surprise, it doesn’t ruin it. By the time the ghosts of family past appear, we the audience is so vested that we stay along for the ride. The ending, may or may not surprise you. I saw it coming a mile away, but I am also a bitter and cynical film fan with many, many hours wasted in front of a big screen.

The Nitty Gritty: Scale of 0 to 10

Camp Factor – 0 (about as campy as Ju-On)

Gore – 3 (an animal mauling, self bullet removal ala Rambo, and a couple reanimated corpses)

Creep Factor – 9 (This film only works because of its ability to keep you looking around the corners on screen)

Nudity/Sex – 2 (there is a fully nude ghost, and in the grounded spirit of the film, is a thankfully normal looking woman since a big breasted stripper type would have ruined the power of the scene)

Jump Scenes – 7 with surround sound – 3 without (the soundtrack of this film is genius. The production spent their limited funds in the correct places.)

Verdict: If you enjoyed Ju-On, its remake the first Grudge, or Amityville Horror then this is up your alley. Since it is light on gore and heavy on creepy environmental horror it is a great date film for those that can’t handle heavy gore.