Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Abandoned Blu-ray Movie Review

"Death never runs out of time..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown May 22, 2024

I loved The Abandoned. At least for a while. I was in. Invested. Committed. Fully on board. For nearly forty-five minutes. But then I felt my attention begin to wane. I was glancing at my cell phone. Shifting in my seat. Was there anything more to the film's otherwise fantastic setup and established eeriness? That became the question I continually asked myself as the story inched towards its conclusion, haphazard flashbacked exposition and all, until finally, at long last, it reached its destination and slammed a period at the end of its long, winding run-on horror. Was it worth the watch? The time? The price of admission? Read on...

Russian-born American film producer Marie (Anastasia Hille) returns to her childhood home to find her biological parents. She's surprised to learn that not only did they die long ago, but she owns a farmhouse that once belonged to them. There she meets Nicolai (Karel Roden), a solemn man who says he's her twin brother, another new development that catches her off guard and leaves her unsure of what to think or believe. However, her beliefs and sanity are challenged further when terrifying doppelgänger ghosts begin to appear in the house, suggesting the twins should've have died with their parents decades earlier. Directed by Spanish filmmaker Nacho Cerda and written by Karim Hussain and Richard Stanley (yes, that Richard Stanley), the 2006 horror film features haunting cinematography by Xavi Giménez and music by Alfons Condealso, and also stars Carlos Reig-Plaza, Kalin Arsov, Svetlana Smoleva, Anna Panayotova, Yordanka Angelova, Valentin Toshev, Jasmina Marinova, Monica Baunova and Marta Yaneva.

The Abandoned's finest assets are its atmosphere and suspense, which builds and builds, ever so slowly and carefully, over the course of most of the story. The film creaks and groans with the same ghastly disquiet as Marie's house, clearly haunted by an unknown force, and very clearly a place where awful things, intensely traumatic things, occurred once upon a darker time. The central mystery has less to do with the ghosts that creep into view here and there (pupil-less, milk-eyed creatures) and more to do with the house and its history, and of course the man living there. Is Nicolai family or foe? Or both? Living or something else? Marie's brother, a manifested memory, a delusion, or another entity? It's these core questions that elevate much of The Abandoned and for the better part of an hour, promise a wicked third act full of answers, ghostly encounters and even stranger goings-on in Marie's inherited home. It doesn't hurt that Hille and Roden deliver such excellent performances, really selling everything from their confusion to their reconnection, potential bond, long-dormant grief, and profound sense of loss and loneliness.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell if Cerda and the writers quite knew what to do with The Abandoned. Great care is invested in establishing tone but far less is invested in the spirits themselves, leaving one to wonder if all that atmosphere and dread is leading to anything truly frightening or just more jump scares involving ghosts suddenly appearing in Marie's path when she turns a corner. Her family's haunted house is a welcome cinematic nightmare too, a shame at times considering how much it evokes horror yet rarely delivers anything as chilling as its halls and chambers. The addition of Stanley as a co-screenwriter might also lead one to think there's a touch of the odd macabre lurking somewhere in wait, but his influence is quite invisible. The Abandoned is a wholly serious, sincere endeavor without so much as a slithering beastie to speak of, though the ending left me fairy satisfied in retrospect. All told, it's an excellent exercise in suspense; a less effective exercise in genuine spooks and frights. Horror hounds will likely be torn as to whether The Abandoned is a hidden gem or a beautiful, evocative piece of haunted-house art that hypnotizes yet never completely sticks the landing.

The Abandoned Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Abandoned's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is a dark, haunting beauty, full of impenetrable shadows, dingy hallways and sickly colors perfectly suited to the atmosphere of the film. Skintones are often splashed with mossy greens and jaundiced yellows, while chilly blues light the forests beyond the house. The house itself is crawling with fine detail, from the texture of every wood plank and floorboard to the specks of dust, draft-stirred cobwebs and bits of debris that litter the halls. Facial features and fabrics are also deftly resolved, and delineation is excellent, particularly considering how much of the house is slathered in shadow and darkness. (Sometimes the only light source being a dim flashlight in true tropey horror fashion.) There also aren't any significant instances of banding, blocking or noise cluttering said darkness, making for a suspenseful build minus any distractions that might remind the viewer it's all just a movie. Top marks.

The Abandoned Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Abandoned's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is almost as effective, though it's no less effortless in its sonic presentation. Dialogue, though sparse on the whole, is prioritized perfectly, even when whispered or hissed. (Accents can occasionally prove tricky when voices are low but that's what subtitles are for.) Rear speakers are active and properly spooky, with downright evil directionality that really sneaks up on you. Pans are as silky as a wisp of ghostly smoke and dynamics are excellent, with some nice kick from the LFE channel when matters grow tense and the house nears its endgame.

The Abandoned Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interviews (HD, 147 minutes) - Three "Circling Back" interviews conducted by Zoe Rose Smith are included: the first, a very choppy Zoom call with Nacho Cerda (clocking in at a lengthy fifty minutes); the second, a call with better reception with Karim Hussain (at fifty-one minutes); and the third with Richard Stanley (at forty-five minutes).

• Featurettes (HD/SD, 99 minutes) - Five rather comprehensive behind-the-scenes featurettes are available, among them "Making of The Abandoned", "In the Abandoned's Den", "Nacho Cerda: The Trial of Death", "The Little Secrets of Nacho Cerda" and "When Buck Meets Cerda".

• Alternate Cuts (SD, 12 minutes)

• Alternate Endings (SD, 11 minutes)

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (SD, 6 minutes)

• Outtakes (SD, 11 minutes)

• Promotional Photo Gallery

• Storyboards

• Theatrical Trailer

• French Trailer

The Abandoned Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Abandoned could use a better third act but between its atmosphere and performances, there's enough here to warrant a look. Unearthed Films makes it easy too with a top notch video transfer, an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a surprisingly deep and comprehensive supplemental package. This one earns a slight recommendation for the flick and an enthusiastic thumbs up for the disc.