REVIEW: The Abandoned (2006)

- By @LastBoneStands

The Abandoned (2006) is a bit of a weird film to talk about. I say that because I both disliked and really enjoyed it. I’m still not sure exactly which opinion to trust.

The basic parts of the story are really good. A woman who was adopted in the United States as a baby finds out her birth family back in Russia left her a piece of property. She travels home to check it out, only to find out she’s not alone and then we make with the spooky! If it was left at that, we could have been treated to a fine film. The problem here is that too much was added to what already was a decent plot. Rather than provide an added layer to the plot, it really just mucks the whole thing up.

The film does have many moments that are effectively scary, and the atmosphere created on the property has a very palpable creepiness to it. As the story goes on, it draws you in, keeping you waiting for more and more pieces to be revealed. It’s engaging, up until all the pieces fall into place and you find that there are many pieces still missing. The added twist doesn’t exactly ruin the story, but it creates some major problems and leaves the viewer with some questions.

Over all, there are many positives to this film. It has some effective scares, decent acting, and a few original ideas. If you don’t mind a twist that makes things more fantastical than they needed to be, give this one a shot.

@LastBoneStands