It is clear where Abandoned got its influences: Kubrick’s The Shining, Wan’s The Conjuring, Sandberg’s Annabelle: Creation, and even a little bit of Craven’s People Under the Stairs. However, the only influence it manages to be better than is Annabelle: Creation, though it remains to be debated.

 

The performances are solid and the film is technically sound, but its direction is rather strange and lacks the coverage to tell its tired-but-functional story effectively. The moments of tension surround fairly unimportant aspects of the story, yet the more interesting moments are breezed through to get to the next unimportant or uninteresting tense moment. This becomes apparent at around the 15 minute mark when the production value seemingly halts, repeating sets and shots for the rest of the film and relying on lots of scenes of sitting and talking to fill the time.

 

Of course, it’s not all bad. Emma Roberts shines here and Michael Shannon is a fun addition despite his small screen time and undynamic character. The cinematography and lighting really sell the atmosphere, and there was a special attention to the score that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Given its issues, Abandoned still leaves you with something to enjoy.