Abandoned

This movie started out very promising. Emma Roberts and John Gallagher Jr play a young couple who buy a house out in the country. We learn that "a tragedy" happened in the house 40 years before, and we're meant to understand that it's been empty ever since - even though it's in perfect condition. They have a new baby and Roberts' character is suffering from severe postpartum depression, which is exacerbated by the fact that her husband's job as a country vet keeps him busy for roughly 18 hours a day, every day, even though he only seems to have like two clients. She begins to have hallucinations about the previous tenants, and her behavior becomes more and more erratic.

The setup is good, and Michael Shannon turns in a classic Michael Shannon role as their creepy Michael Shannon-like neighbor, but it never really delivers. The only reveal happens pretty early, and they telegraph it from a mile away.

Don't get me wrong, I love slow burn horror movies, but there's slow and there's SLOW, and I do expect something to eventually happen. No danger of spoilers because there's really nothing to spoil. It just sort of plods along and ends.

It seemed like they were teasing something more interesting in the backstory, but then it was like they checked their watches, decided the movie was long enough, and called it a wrap.

I'll make this quick, if you don't mind a baby crying in 40% of the film, extremely boring dialog, Emma Roberts being emotionless and a drawn out story of so call eeriness, than have at. The only horror there was, was watching it.

Just dull from the beginning. A couple buy a house from a creepy retail agent (and don't even look in all the rooms or check windows or any of the things people buying houses check) and move in. They meet a creepy neighbor who just walks into there house because "that's the way things are done around here"....... Conversations with long pauses before replies aren't atmospheric. They're unrealistic.

Dismissed.

Im only 30 mins in and i dont know if im gonna make. Even sexy Emma cant make up for the baby who NEVER STOPS CRYING!!!! Im gonna attempt to watch a little more but the baby is giving me anxiety..

5 questions I kept asking myself as I watched this:

What's happened with Michael Shannon?

Why is the baby crying so much?

What's the relevance of the pigs?

What happened in the end?

Why am I watching this?