Unearthing Claustrophobic Horror Brilliance in ‘The Abandoned’ on Blu-ray from Unearthed Films!
Haunted house films are nothing new in the world of horror. From Amityville to Hell House LLC, it is a tried-and-true genre. A genre which I am admittedly not the biggest fan of. This is not to say I think this subgenre is worthless or objectively bad, it is just that I don’t find myself interested by a spooky house and things that go bump in the night like I used to. So, when I was asked to review Nacho Cerdá’s The Abandoned, I was apprehensive. I am a huge fan of Cerdá’s short films (Aftermath, Genesis), but a feature length haunted house film did not sound like my cup of tea. However, upon watching the film I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how different Cerdá’s take on the genre turned out to be.
The Abandoned follows a woman named Marie (Anastasia Hille, The Awakening), an American film producer who is in Russia and has been told that she has inherited a property in the countryside. Upon hitching a ride to the property that she has inherited; Marie finds that the property is not only dishevelled but haunted by a zombie-like creature that looks exactly like her. Marie soon meets a man also exploring the house, named Nicolai (Karel Roden, Orphan). Nicolai claims that he is Marie’s long-lost twin brother who was adopted following the brutal murder of their mother. The two begin exploring the house further and find that the house seems to shift and change as they explore. Thus begins the duos descent into hell.
The plot of The Abandoned is an original one, taking the concept of the haunted house and turning it on its head by not only having the house itself be inhabited by malevolent spirits, but by incorporating a time travel and alternate reality concepts into the fold. While the film operates on nightmare logic because of this, it is never difficult to follow. As with all films involving time travel or time loops, it is important to simply accept what the film is presenting rather than focusing on the time travel fallacy. This is an aspect of the film I believe will irritate some viewers but did not bother me as much as it does in other films. While the film’s plot is very original, the movie does unfortunately include several tropes of the haunted house genre that made me groan. For example, a vehicle mysteriously becoming nonfunctional once it reaches the house when it had worked prior. Or the occasional predictable jump scare. While these would not be something that bothered me in many other films as they would be expected, in this case they were a bit disappointing to see due to the film being a different take on the genre overall. The film’s pacing is a bit off as well, as the movie begins very slowly but feels slightly rushed towards the end. I wish more time was allotted for the finale, rather than the establishment in the beginning, but this is a nitpick that will not bother most people. While the pacing seems a bit off, there is one aspect of the film that is perfect: the atmosphere.
Nacho Cerdá is a director known for the atmosphere he can create in his films, utilizing tight camera work and sound design in order to create an uneasy and claustrophobic atmosphere. Never has this been more present than in The Abandoned. Throughout the film, Cerdá’s use of tight camera work, sound design, and enclosed spaces creates a feeling of extreme unease. As our leads traverse the house it is hard not to sweat, as each room in the house feels almost coffin-like and holds the viewer in a stranglehold. Every corner turned is the possibility of a new evil, and this tension never lets up over the course of the film. Even the times in which characters are outside the house or are in large open areas feel constricting, as there is a noticeable lack of other people. The hell the characters find themselves in is their own, and there is no escape. The quiet moments never feel safe because of this and feel like they building to something awful that will happen. Yet, when the awful moments do happen, they still feel surprising and jarring.
The film’s technical aspects are all worth noting as well. The effects, while sparse, are intense and realistic when presented. I am not one to become shocked easily, but a moment towards the end of the film had me feeling sick to my stomach. The acting in the film is also quite good, with both leads doing a good job portraying their respective characters. Anastasia Hille’s portrayal of Marie is great. Hille is very believable in her role and makes the viewer care about her character. This is a very character driven film as well, so Hille’s portrayal is a major highlight.
After being apprehensive going in to The Abandoned, I came out quite pleasantly surprised. While the film occasionally falls into tropes and struggles with pacing on occasion, the unique approach to the haunted house genre and claustrophobic atmosphere really helped Cerdá’s film stick out. This is a film haunted house fans will eat up, but for those who are not fans of the genre this will be a welcome breath of fresh air as well.
The Abandoned is now available on Blu-ray from the fine folks at Unearthed Films and the release is packed with supplemental features. Get your copy here.
Directed by: Nacho Cerdá          Â
Written by: Karim Hussain, Nacho Cerdá, Richard Stanley
Produced by: Alexander Metodiev, Kwesi DicksonCinematography by: Xavi Giménez
Editing by: Jorge Macaya
Music by: Alfons Conde
Special Effects by:Â Ivan Busquets, Creature Effects
Cast: Anastasia Hille, Karel Roden, Valentin Ganev, Paraskeva Djukelova, Carlos Reig-Plaza, Kalin Arsov
Year: 2006
Country: Spain, United Kingdom, Bulgaria
Language: English, Russian
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 39min
Studio: Castelao Producciones, Filmax International, Filmstudio Bojana, Future Films, Radiovision
Distributor: Unearthed Films
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