Abandoned, The (2015)
Staci Layne Wilson
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Starring Louisa Krause, Jason Patric, Mark Margolis,
Directed by Eytan Rockaway
Previously known as The Confines, this indie horror flick is a claustrophobic chiller that follows Streak (Louisa Krause), a disturbed single mother who, in effort to get herself together, takes a job as an overnight security guard at a rundown luxury building. As it turns out, on her first shift she finds herself stuck with a jerk coworker called Cooper (Jason Patric), a big rainstorm brewing, and an eerie feeling of foreboding.
She soon begins to question her sanity and finds herself lost and wandering in the creepy catacombs beneath the building looking for a way out. When her pernicious partner and a villainous vagrant (Mark Margolis) begin toying with her, Streak is forced to face her inner demons in order to vanquish the external ones.
The Abandoned is beautifully shot, and it’s got plenty of white-knuckle dread and suspense. It could be the twisted love child of The Tenant and The Descent. The darkness is another character in and of itself, and DP Zack Galler moves his camera fluidly, slowly, and almost lovingly into all those inky corners and along those seemingly endless corridors. Director Eytan Rockaway brings it all together.
The cast helps bring pathos to what could be cardboard cut-out characters – we know that Streak has made some poor choices, she’s struggling to keep custody of her son, and she’s desperate to put her best foot forward in the new job, but thanks to Krause’s innate likability we don’t need lots of backstory and exposition in order to care about her. Patric is, and always has been, mesmerizing onscreen. Even as a sleazy “bad guy” the actor brings layers of nuance and shows a thought process behind the eyes, which makes him more than just an ordinary nemesis.
In spite of all its build-up, the story begins to crumble a bit towards the end. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the ending, but that sort of thing is subjective, and I encourage everyone to watch The Abandoned to judge for themselves.
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The Abandoned screened at Screamfest L.A. on Sunday, October 18, 2015. It will be distributed by IFC Midnight.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
