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Many people love the charm of an old house. They’re drawn to the history—to the memories that the house contains. But in the thriller Abandoned, a couple moves into a charming old house and discovers that the memories it contains aren’t happy ones.
Abandoned stars Emma Roberts as Sara Davis, a young mom who moves to an old farmhouse with her veterinarian husband, Alex (John Gallagher Jr.), and their infant son to start a new life out of the city. Sara has been suffering from postpartum depression, and the move to the country promises to be the break she needs. But the house has its own terrible story—and as the house’s dark past becomes more real for the troubled mom, she turns to her neighbor, Chris (Michael Shannon), for answers about what really happened there.
As Sara and Alex move into this classic old farmhouse—recklessly overlooking its haunting past—they notice some of its quirks: rooms behind mysteriously locked doors, old photographs left behind, windows nailed shut. These things aren’t especially unheard-of when it comes to old houses. Decades of use bring about plenty of oddities. But with the right atmosphere and the right score, anything can seem sinister—and, before long, those eerie details build into ghostly sightings and haunting sounds throughout the house.
While Alex spends long hours away from the house—the film unnecessarily following him as he works with a gruff farmer whose latest litter of pigs needs extra attention—Sara is alone in this creepy old house, trying to soothe a baby who won’t stop crying while wrestling with her own troubled thoughts. And the only person nearby is a socially awkward neighbor whose knowledge of the house’s past only adds to the eeriness of it all.
The story that plays out isn’t especially new or surprising. Sara is haunted (and maybe even hunted) by the house’s past while men around her tell her that she’s clearly just a crazy, irrational woman who’s in need of medication. There are plenty of cheap scares, some unremarkable twists, and a whole lot of screaming. Despite its notable cast, this isn’t a thriller that necessitates rushing out to your favorite theater—but it’s a decent (if completely forgettable) choice for late-night on-demand viewing.
If you enjoy haunted house movies, Abandoned may not be destined to become an instant favorite, but it’s at least good for a few jumpy scares. And Emma Roberts and Michael Shannon manage to elevate it beyond the typical low-budget thriller.
Abandoned opens in theaters on June 17, 2022—or find it on demand on June 24, 2022.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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