User reviews

I was initially lured in by this movie's cover and the fact that it is a horror movie. And also the fact that I hadn't already seen the movie helped to win me over. So I ended up sitting down to watch the 2015 horror movie "Abandoned Dead" from writer and director Mark W. Curran.

Well, if you are unfamiliar with the horror genre and this is your introduction movie to horror movies, then I suppose you are off to a good enough start. But for a horror veteran such as myself, then "Abandoned Dead" was a swing and a miss.

For me, the plot and script was boring and uneventful. Nothing of any interest happened throughout the course of the entire movie. And while I managed to sit through the entire movie, then I can't claim to be entertained in any real way. And for a horror movie, then "Abandoned Dead" was just way too tame and uneventful.

The acting in the movie was adequate, taking into consideration the severe limitations of the script and storyline. But keep in mind that you are not in for any Shakespearian experience when you sit down to watch "Abandoned Dead".

This was, for me, a boring movie. And I cannot recommend that you waste your time, money or effort on it. Some of us did, so you don't have to.

My rating of "Abandoned Dead" is a mere two out of ten stars. While I did manage to endure the entire movie, this is by no means a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time.

Dear horror film makers.

Even a permanent spooky atmosphere, the heaviest jump scares and the best masks and effects are senseless when the plot is so uninspired and boring. Then the movie simply is not scary at all. And the reason why good horror films are so rare.

Just have a look at some horror shorts on YouTube from young and ambitious film makers. They show you so-called professionals what really is good and scary.

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.

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 can't say I hated this movie but I can't say I loved it either. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just, there. The music was okay but i found the photography kind of flat. The acting was okay, all the cast did their thing, but there was nothing that stood out to me. The movie should have been creepier and the atmosphere should have held more dread but it didn't and that is a shame because the plot was good, it just didn't hold my interest. I do not hold the belief that a horror movie should be filled with buckets of gore, but it should grab your attention and hold it and this one just does not. It's not a bad movie, just a rather bland one.

"Abandoned Dead" is a movie about a security guard who takes the night shift at an addiction center. It is a psychological thriller that is about more than what it seems to be and had a real M. Night Shyamalan feel in almost every scene. The film itself isn't too scary but certain scenes might be triggering to some people. It also wasn't too gory but, like I said, some scenes might be triggering to some people.

Rachel Burke, played by Sarah Nicklin, is a security guard who never takes the night shift due to a secret that you will later find out near the end of the film. She gets roped into taking the night shift by her boss because no one else was able to take the job. She starts out doing her job like any normal shift but begins to realize that there is more to it than meets the eye. I absolutely loved the actress portraying this role. She did an excellent job and is a very attractive woman. I think she is the only reason this movie did decently well according to most people.

This movie isn't a very long film but it starts to feel that way after awhile. It is intense and will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what that surprise ending will be and what else could possibly happen to the main character. There was one scene that completely freaked me out but only because I have a fear of dolls coming to life and doing creepy things to people. It could have been better but I really did enjoy this movie.

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.

watched this the other night and I thought it was awesome. I thought for its budget it really did well. music was great! if your a horror fan you need to watch this :) wont give anything away but it is full of some creepy moments :) really like the actual story line with the security guard out of her comfort zone at night. it has a great twist at the end but all the way though I couldn't get what was going to happen or how things would turn out. didn't like the pizza guy, as in his attitude not him being in it, ha ha. if you get a chance I would recommend giving this a go. as I said it is for any true horror fan. hope you enjoy

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.

The movie Abandoned Dead,

Mark Curran,who Directed this awesome movie did a superb job not only directing this movie, the atmosphere was creepy and I love creepy he also cast the right people for their roles for his movie is one of my new awesome kick ass psychological horror movies now it will have you on the edge of your seat I know I was and I am a hardcore horror movie fanatic!!!! I recommend this movie to everyone who is looking for a good horror movie to watch!!!!! I can watch this movie over and over again! p.s. you don't want to turn your lights off it will send goosebumps and shivers and it will force you to look over your shoulders

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.

Abandoned Dead is a suspense thriller that revolves around the chilling incidents experienced by a female security guard Rachael Burke in Mayfield Addiction Clinic. Movie starts with Rachael talking to her girlfriend Sara on a phone call while driving home. At first Abandoned Dead seems like every other ordinary movie but things really start to speed up once Rachael reaches the Addiction clinic she is supposed to watch over for the night. The fact that Rachael suffers from the fear of night makes the movie even more interesting.

Mayfield Addiction Clinic seems like every other average clinic but once Rachael is left alone in the place, the clinic turns into the spookiest place on the earth. The first heart-stopping moment arrives when Rachael is sitting in her car outside the clinic gazing at the clinic board and Anna suddenly knocks on her car window.

Chilling and intense story twists will keep you hooked towards Abandoned Dead till the very end. Although the movie is extremely startling and terrifies audiences in the most unexpected way still there are various points that will keep you confused till the end. For instance, the fact that why Rachael dreaded nighttime unravels when the audiences get to know about the trauma she suffered in her childhood.

Things start to get really mysterious once night gets deeper. Rachael encounters the hidden secrets of her childhood wrapped in the evil attacks of the supernatural forces. Every time Rachael opens the door of the clinic gives you a mild heart attack because of the horrifying environment surrounding the clinic. The most gut- wrenching scene in the movie is where Rachael finds a dead and skinned cat on the doorstep of the clinic.

Her encounter with a mysterious and rough looking guard is also quite interesting. Amongst the entire thrill, Abandoned Dead also presents you with a drop of humor. Facial expressions delivered by Rachael during the scene where a pizza delivery guy proposes her to have sex with him are truly amusing. At first, all the scenes with the detective seem extremely boring but after the movie unravels, Detective Phillip Haggis starts to make sense.

The movie flows at an extremely fast pace and keeps you hooked till the end. Due to its creepy story-line and heart-stopping sound effects, Abandoned Dead is definitely not fit for heart patients.

This movie was reminiscent of the film "Mirrors", which I loved. Obviously with a smaller budget, but they pulled off what they were going for with the budget they had. Setting the movie in a clinic was a smart move. The main actress carries the film well and fits the role of a security guard very well, while staying beautiful and charismatic. Not that security guards can't be pretty....but often times in movies (especially indie) roles like this are cast with someone who is so beyond unbelievable in that part. I found a lot of this movie to be winks and nods to 80's horror films, particularly the sound design anytime a baddie is seen. The lighting was terrific and really helped create depth and layers to the real life sets. It's obvious that this movie has a lot of hard work and heart in it.

Abandoned dead is a horror story about a newly vested guard on a psychiatric facility. This setup of the movie would give you the same feeling when you played "Five nights at Freddy's", the fear that you know there is something to fear but at the same time does not know what would happen next. The story would really get into turns and twists that would take different routes in the story. It does not even give you hints what would happen next. The story can truly be said to be unforeseeable and deceptive. The suspense in the movie is straight out killing it. It hooks well in the start of the suspense and thrill and it is carefully placed and triggered that you would not anticipate it nor prepare yourself. The suspense also does not hung you up with the previous scene but continually builds up until the next suspense scene. It does not leave you comfortable and relaxed about what will happen in the story. The props used in the film were also great, they were both icky and creepy at the same time. Cinematography was the key to every horror suspense movie because if the cinematography does not go well, it may not scare so much even if the story is scary. Cinematography may break the films potential to success. This story however had great cinematography, they used the color palettes well. They have used different camera angles that you would not have watched from previous horror film before. You could see an example of this new angle and panning on the scene when the guard was on the guard house right before the pizza delivery guy knocks which you would have forgotten and would have thought that another scary scene taking place. Mostly, the story line in horror films would have been disregarded and that most would focus on the cinematography and suspense for the part of the viewer. This movie however, did not throw this over board and continually built up on the story which may also be the cause of the viewer's being surprised on what would happen next. There will be also sketchy characters being introduced in the middle of the story. The story also was very misleading, the writers would drop now and then out of the blue suspense parts that would shock the viewer even more finding it is connected to the story after all. Sound effects and background music was also great in this movie. The sound used when the suspense part is starting was not that that would make you guess when it would peak. They also made a truly eerie background music that takes effect in the dark parts of the movie. The cliché part like the radio also made an effect that contributes to the eerie background. The movie does follow the standard up and down peaks of a story that makes it interesting and effective. It was very misleading and that it would not prepare you what happens next. Let me say finally, that if you want to be puzzled and scared, you should definitely watch this movie for it would really give you both.

Great movie - scary and lot of suspense. Loved it. Worth watching.

In this film, the horror creeps up on you. Set in an addiction clinic, this poor security guard who is afraid of the dark must now battle personal demons out to get her. The scares are properly placed and are built up to give us the sense of dread and tension throughout the film. Combine the terror with the mystery of what is going on in this hospital leads us down a rabbit hole that will surprise you by the end. Thankfully, the lead does an amazing job with bringing us into this world. Overall, it is a movie that does not disappoint.

I thought this was a nice watch. Had a bit of a throwback vibe but delivered well on the plot. Nicely acted, especially the leads. Recommend for a night of film watching.

Abandoned Dead is a great thrill ride. It had me on the edge of my seat. Great story and acting. I love the film noir vibe and the attention to detail. I highly recommend this one.