The Abandoned was part of the 2005 After Dark Horrorfest which was eight horror films shown over the same weekend nationally. The Abandoned was rated tops among viewers and was given the honor to have national ads, and another chance at the box office.
The Abandoned is not your average horror film. It is not a gory bloodfest slasher film. It is not an asian woman with long dark hair film. It is a different haunted house story. The film is Marie's story. Marie was born in Russia, lived in the UK, and married and lives in the US. Marie knows nothing about her parents and after years of investigating goes to Russia to learn the truth. In Russia, at her parent's 40 year old abandoned house she meets, Nikolai, her twin brother. She also is confronted with the past and future in eeriely spooky scenes including meeting her double. To say anymore would give it away...
The Abandoned was filmed in Bulgaria and has that dark, aged, falling apart feel to it. Anastasia Hill portrays Marie as truly a foreigner in a foreign land. She has rigid cheeks and a hard edge until the world seems to fall around her. Nikolai played by Karol Roden is a veteran soldier who knows more than Marie, and is more afraid. Both actors go from strangers to allies naturally.
Overall The Abandoned stands out. It has elements of Srah Michelle Gellar's The Return to it, but is light years beyond it in writing and performance. Cerda has made a film that won't rock the foundation of horror's best, but should be given a sidenote for challenging the norm.