Abandoned

Abandoned

For fans of found footage horror and sleeping with the lights on

Jess and Adam run a video channel together, taking their viewers to hard-to-reach, terrifying, and dangerous places. Lately, however, their viewership has been falling. Jess is thinking about finding a new job, while Adam convinces her to go on one last trip together, one that could save not only their business but also their relationship. Inside an abandoned hospital, they quickly discover that the warning signs were not put there by accident.

“Abandoned” is a gripping horror film made in the tradition of found footage. As the film unfolds, viewers can practically feel something nasty breathing down their necks alongside the characters. The hospital’s claustrophobic, dark corridors, footage recorded on the characters’ own cameras, and constant sense of being trapped make “Abandoned” grab viewers by the throat from the very first scene and refuse to let go until the finale. This is horror that is effective rather than flashy, terrifying without becoming grotesque. It leaves a mark like a fresh surgical stitch: it takes a long time to heal. An ideal film for fans of found footage horror.

This terrifying horror film is the directorial debut of Joby Stephens, a filmmaker whose short films have won awards around the world. The film’s tension and sense of authenticity rest on the shoulders of Grace Gallagher (Jess) and Cameron Wight (Adam). Their fear and panic are infectious, drawing viewers into a journey straight into hell.