Abandoned Dead

At first glance this looks like a zombie (noir) film, but it's not that at all. Psychologically dark and character driven, this is a film that doesn't fit snuggly in any one drama, let alone "zombie". Grounded and fantastic in equal parts, this one is well worth your time!

I rather enjoyed this independent film concerning an over-worked Security Guard's night spent in an inner-city medical clinic. Rachel, very well played by Sarah Nicklin, has an aversion to darkness (and therefore the night), so her enforced nightshift already sets her nerves on edge.

Director and writer Robert Adams, ubiquitous behind the scenes, supplies a very effective, minimalist electronic music score which adds greatly to the low-key atmosphere of murky horror.

I like this because it attempts something a little different and for the most part succeeds. While the idea of a young woman spending the night in a creepy building (seemingly) alone isn't exactly new, this is a story atmospherically told, and not one that relies on 'jump scares', which has become a rather monotonous staple of many modern films. My score is 7 out of 10.

The flaws in this indie film are too obvious to belabor. Suffice to say that you should not expect to witness anything approaching Oscar winning or nominated acting, writing, directing, etc. But this, with rare exceptions, is what one should expect in what is obviously a low- budget production. It comes with the territory. So, if your central purpose in watching an indie film is to indulge a desire to carp and criticize, you easily will find faults in this film. However, if you are among those who subscribe to the standard of criticism enunciated long ago by none other than the undying Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allen Poe, you may discover redeeming signs of life in Abandoned Dead, which while not on the sublimely sinister level of any of Poe's classic creations, is in a consanguineous vein. The Procrustean 1,000 word limit for this present review precludes anything but a rough paraphrase of Poe's dictum: A creation should be judged on whether the creator accomplished what he set out to create. Judged by this standard, the film leaves a favorably impression of what Mark Curran, who happens to have produced a one-man "Poe" show presently on stage, while doing this other one man show as Producer/Writer/Director of Abandoned Dead, managed to squeeze out of a tight indie budget. His promising script explores dark, twisted psychological mine-shafts, and he wastes no precious production money on the gratuitous goo and gore that spray the sets of cheap thrillers. That he managed to cast (sans the services of a casting director) a few quite capable actors among the miscast misfits that somehow manage to make unseemly appearances in practically every indie film, is itself remarkable. Any indie film lover who has been thinking of having a go at production should first have a word with Mark Curran, who evidently knows how to do a lot with a little. In sum, while this film is by no stretch a nine or ten as some apparent partisans proclaim, neither is it a one or two as some slag-slingers say. All things considered in the indie genre, it is a solid six or even a seven.

Directed by Mark Curran, Abandoned Dead is a pretty great suspense thriller. When first watched as a horror film, I would have rated this lower, but despite the name and couple of goryish scenes, it's more of an introspective look into the life of a security guard who is working an extra shift, and has to deal with some psychological mystery surrounding the place she is guarding.

There is some nice camera-work and lighting, some good acting, and everyone involved did a great job from cast to crew. Sarah Nicklin does a great job as the main character Rachel, who plays the security guard the movie focuses on. The atmosphere was great for what they were trying to accomplish with this film. I would definitely give this a watch if you are into suspenseful thrillers, and keep an eye out for more films from Mark Curran and team.

I've actually watched this twice now and the 2nd time was no better. I wouldn't really define this as a horror movie. It was more of a psycho thriller. But in the end, just a 3/10.